In 2003, my four-year-old daughter Haley was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her abdomen called rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of childhood cancer.  Over the course of the next 15 months, I walked beside my then strawberry blonde-haired preschooler and witnessed her courage and determination in battling an aggressive cancer.  Like so many of the other 12,500 children and teens diagnosed each year in the U.S., Haley taught me so much about how to live life to the fullest, appreciate the gift of life and how to never give up hope.

Haley amazed us with her laughter and playfulness, even in the midst of serious medical conditions.  I also witnessed other struggles in the world of childhood cancer.  Not just the suffering of so many other children like Haley, but the lack of funding for new chemotherapies, the lack of awareness in the community for childhood cancer.

After Haley's death on August 11, 2004, I was inspired to make a difference in the world of childhood cancer.  I had seen first hand how desperate the need is to help these youngest and most vulnerable victims of cancer.  I represent Delaware as one of CureSearch for Children’s Cancer’s advocacy team leaders, advocating for federal funding for childhood cancer research, and helping raise awareness about the disease in children and teens.  In this new role, my eyes opened to not only the physical suffering inherent in childhood cancer, but the inequities in federal research funding, as well.

I knew Haley would be proud of my efforts on Capitol Hill, however, I continued to wish I could help in raising awareness.  I was excited to join forces with two other local moms whose sons had been in treatment with Haley to bring a CureSearch Walk to Wilmington.  To have raised over $150,000 in our first two annual walks and to witness the emotion on the faces of so many local families whose lives have been touched by childhood cancer is truly an honor for me.  Words cannot describe the feeling of knowing that my work with CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is helping children currently battling cancer, those yet to be diagnosed and honoring those, like Haley, who have gone before.