Aggressive childhood brain tumors are among the deadliest cancers, with the average life expectancy post diagnosis of just 9-12 months. Researchers desperately need funding to find cures, and Dragon Master Initiative is helping break down research silos that can create barriers to care by using a data-driven approach to connect scientists worldwide. By doing so, they can remove hurdles that providers and families face in access to care. 

As a healthcare provider myself, I encounter the hurdles to gathering patient information in order to ensure my patients receive the highest quality of care. What should be the simple task of requesting and receiving data from other providers' offices, or being able to access relevant results, can quickly feel like trudging through quicksand, battling against the nuances of non-integrated charting systems. Now imagine your child needing those answers as quickly as possible in order to access research being done around the world that may lead to the trial or the medication or the cure that may save their life. I know that if I put myself in their shoes, I would want answers and a plan as quickly as possible.

This is where my story and Dragon Master's intersect. My passion for high quality patient care, my history working in oncology, my love for my patients, and my dedication to my own children compel me to do anything I can to break down those walls. Dragon Master Initiative has been a staple of the RunDisney community ever since the first race I ever did, and I am honored to support them in pursuit of my first World Major Marathon; I hope you will join me in supporting them, too! 

Every step I take is dedicated to the brave children and families facing this diagnosis. Every dollar you donate directly funds the specialized tools, data systems, and laboratory essentials needed to crack the genetic code of this disease.

Thank you so much for your support, your donations, and for cheering me on to the finish line!