Fashion Funds the Cure Fort Lauderdale
C h i l d r e n B a t t l i n g C a n c e r M o d e l C o u r a g e & F a s h i o n
In August of 2015 my husband and I left our 5-month-old
son, Theo, for the very first time for a trip to New York
City. Little did we know what lied in wait just one week later.
We returned home from our trip and noticed some small
changes in our baby that led to visits with the pediatrician,
a pediatric ophthalmologist, and two trips the emergency
room all in the same week—the final emergency room visit
would change our lives forever. It was then that we were
told that Theo had metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare, aggressive form of
childhood cancer that affects approximately 350 children
annually. It has no cure. After enduring 14 months of
treatment, comprised of drugs created for adults - not
children - our perfect boy passed away.
We spent every day of those 14 months searching for an answer that
would save Theo. Since 1980, there have been less than ten drugs
developed for use in children with cancer. When a child dies from
cancer, an average of 71 years of life are lost compared to 17 years
of life lost for an adult, and outrageously, of the 43 children that are
diagnosed every day with cancer, seven of them will not survive.
The truth is, most people don’t realize that pediatric cancer research
receives only four percent (4%!) of the federal government’s funding
for cancer research. That’s a main reason why rare cancers, like Theo’s,
don’t have cures. With this reality, we knew we had to do something.
Five months after Theo passed away, Fashion Funds the Cure Fort
Lauderdale was born out of necessity and hope, which we hosted in
Theo’s memory.
Fashion Funds the Cure Ft. Lauderdale benefits the National
Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF). The
NPCF funds pediatric cancer research across
a network of more than 24 children’s
hospitals throughout the country. More
research is desperately needed to find
better treatments for kids like Theo,
and we’ve made it our mission to
help fund that research. Children who are currently battling cancer
or are in remission make their runway debuts dressed in the latest
fashion provide by Dillard’s, and in apparel highlighting their dream
occupations. Each child dresses up as what they want to be when they
grow up and then struts the runway during the “dream walk.”
This year on April 14, 2018 we will host the second annual Fashion
Funds the Cure Ft. Lauderdale at Nova Southeastern University
(NSU), in Davie, FL. We are excited to bring Fashion Funds the
Cure to NSU’s campus, and a portion of the event’s proceeds will
fund cutting-edge pediatric cancer research at NSU’s Center for
Collaborative Research. The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails
and small “bites” from local restaurants, followed by an inspiring
fashion show at 7:30 p.m. Fashion Funds the Cure gives children
who are battling cancer the chance to show their strength during an
evening that is all about them, while giving the community a chance
to support an incredible cause. We would love for you to be a part of it.
To purchase your tickets, visit nationalpcf.org/fftcftlauderdale
and for information on sponsorship opportunities, contact
sponsorships@nationalpcf.org.
FLocal Magazine • March 2018 19
/fftcftlauderdale
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