Clare is a bright and bubbly little 7-year-old girl who was diagnosed with an inoperable and fast-growing form of brain cancer known as DIPG at the age of two. She is super sweet with just the right amount of sassy sprinkled in to keep you on your toes. She loves her little sister, Maren, playing with baby dolls and watching Peppa Pig. She is an avid baker; she expertly picks the eggs to use when making cookies and stirs the batter with vigor when making muffins. She absolutely loves dressing up as Disney Princesses and has quickly become an expert in royal fashion. Her favorite princesses include Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella.

During a magical trip to Disney World, Clare had a surprise encounter with the Fairy Godmother, who walked right up to Clare, held her hand, and walked her through the park. The look on Clare’s face was priceless. She owned that park during that one-minute walk. Clare loved being so close to the Fairy Godmother and having everyone stare at her. She adored being the center of attention, even if only for that short walk.

The first symptoms her parents noticed were, Clare started walking on her toes and had a slight limp, along with occasional choking while drinking liquids and drooling. Shortly before her diagnosis, she began slurring her words and had become very hard to understand. Most of her symptoms were written off as things that toddlers do at that age.

Diagnosis day and the days following remain the hardest so far in this journey for Clare and her family. It took a solid month for her parents to comprehend what her diagnosis truly meant. They lived in a fog for weeks. Clare was so little, so every treatment felt extreme. From her port surgery to radiation treatments to EKGs and MRIs, everything was big and scary to a 2-year-old. Despite everything, Clare has proven to be so brave and resilient. Her beautiful smile is always on display.

Once Clare completed her 30 radiation treatments, her family was thrust into another world of unknowns. Clare had accomplished so much and was doing better clinically but just as wonderful as that was, it was also unbearably painful for her family because they simply didn’t know what to do next. There are very few viable treatment options for a DIPG diagnosis, and choosing the next step can be extremely difficult. Clare was quickly enrolled in a clinical trial funded by The Cure Starts Now.

Clare is currently 60 months post-diagnosis and is showing the world just how strong she is. She has endured more than anyone should have to experience, much less a child. She hates band-aids, hospitals, and almost everything her doctors have done to her since her diagnosis but Clare is a fighter, and she continues smiling through it.

There were only two clinical trials Clare was eligible for at the time of her diagnosis. And two trials is more than what’s offered to many families. Because of funding for pediatric brain cancer research, there are treatment options available now that families didn’t have just five years ago. Clare is doing as well as she is because of the research and opportunities children have today.

"Funding for research provides clinical trials, which brings hope for our children and their families. We have hope because of generous donations from people who believe that a DIPG diagnosis should not be a death sentence. A cure is just over the horizon, and with an increase in funding, we will get there." - The Ronnebaum Family

Did you know that it takes 25,000 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 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 $30 million in pediatric brain cancer research funding to date, you can rest assured that 100% of your donation will go directly to innovative research. Please join us in funding crucial research to save our youngest warriors.