Lauren Hill was a beautiful, smart, and amazing 19-year-old, who was diagnosed with DIPG, a highly aggressive and fast-growing form of inoperable brain cancer, in November 2013. She was a force to be reckoned with throughout her battle as she tirelessly advocated for The Cure Starts Now’s efforts to find the homerun cure™ for all cancers. She captured the hearts of people worldwide with her tenacity and determination to play in her first collegiate basketball game with her Mount St. Joseph University team.

Prior to her DIPG diagnosis, Lauren was just another high school student preparing for college. A few weeks after she made her decision to attend Mount St. Joseph to play basketball, she began experiencing right-sided muscle weakness, a slight clumsiness, vertigo, and difficulty swallowing. After a visit to the emergency room, where she failed multiple neurological tests, Lauren and her family received her DIPG diagnosis. While her parents were literally stunned silent, Lauren, with newfound confidence, sprung into action, calmly asking all the necessary questions about her diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. Lauren’s confidence eventually led to her finding her voice as an advocate for children fighting cancer who were too young to speak up about the need for an increase in research funding for the homerun cure™.

Lauren dreamed of scoring a basket during a college basketball game, and with her condition deteriorating quickly, the NCAA allowed Mount St. Joseph to move its opening game against Hiram College up two weeks. Inspired by Lauren’s story, Xavier University offered to host the game in its arena so more people could attend.

When the game rolled around on Nov. 2, 2014, Lauren was thrilled to play, but the tumor had further weakened her right side to the point that she had to shoot with her non-dominant hand. Within the first 17 seconds of the game, Lauren made a left-handed layup and achieved her goal. She also made the last basket of the game using her right hand.

DIPG caused Lauren to suffer from light, sound, and movement sensitivity, so when she was on the bench during the games, she was often seen wearing sunglasses and headphones. She tired quickly and sometimes needed a wheelchair, but she never let any of the side effects hold her back. She pushed on and played in three more games before her spreading tumor forced her to stop playing.

When Lauren wasn’t undergoing treatment or playing the game she loved, she was building awareness and fundraising for cancer research. In the six months before her death, she raised $1.4 million for research and inspired millions of people around the nation.

After a heroic 16-month battle, Lauren passed away on April 10, 2015. Even though this devastating disease took her life, she kicked DIPG’s butt. She never gave up, and she never stopped inspiring people to take notice of DIPG. Lauren’s mom now acts as her voice, keeping her legacy alive and pushing pediatric brain cancer research momentum forward.

Childhood cancer research needs to be taken more seriously. While most people see cancer as an adult disease, children can get it too. Pediatric cancer research is wildly underfunded. Our children are the future. They deserve better. They deserve a cure.

Did you know that it takes 24,901 miles to walk around the Earth?

We want to turn those miles into donations! 
Every $1 equals 1 mile closer to our goal of funding a pediatric brain cancer research grant, and 100% of your donations after credit card processing fees go directly to funding pediatric brain cancer research. Cancer doesn't take a break and neither do we. There is still vital research that needs to be funded this year. 

Want to see how we're doing overall? Click here!

1 in 330 children in the U.S. will develop cancer by age 20.

On average, 15,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Cancer is the #1 killer of children by disease in the United States, yet it remains one of the most underfunded diseases in the world.

The Cure Starts Now focuses on the Homerun Cure for all cancers by concentrating our research funding efforts on one of the deadliest forms of cancer, DIPG. With over $18 million in pediatric brain cancer research funding to date, you can rest assured that 100% of your donation, after credit card processing, will go directly to innovative research. Please join us in funding crucial research to save our youngest warriors.