Addison is a spunky and sweet ray of sunshine. She is just like any other normal 9-year-old with one exception, she is fighting for her life. At just 6-years-old, she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and inoperable brain tumor that currently has no cure, on March 5, 2019. What was just a sudden inward-turned eye and a few headaches turned into the Varns’ worst nightmare.  The standard treatment is radiation which can shrink the tumor and buy more time, but radiation only slows the progression down. Once the effects of radiation wear off, the tumor will start growing with a vengeance.

At the time of diagnosis, the prognosis was 9-18 months. Addison just celebrated 28 months post-diagnosis on July 5, 2021. To say she has fought with all her might to get here is an understatement. She has gone through 30 rounds of radiation unsedated, taken oral chemotherapy for a research clinical trial, countless pricks and lab draws, numerous brain and spine MRIs unsedated, and still continued to go to school every day for the last 2 school years and is getting ready to head into the 4th grade.

Addison’s MRI in April 2020 showed the cancer had metastasized and found three more tumors on her spine. She could no longer continue the research chemotherapy and had to complete 10 additional rounds of full brain and spine irradiation, again, unsedated which caused her to lose all of her hair. Her MRI after completing the second round of radiation showed that ALL of the tumors were stable!

In August, the Varns met with Addison’s oncology team to look at other clinical trials that she may qualify for. She started a new trial on August 27, 2020, which requires her to take an investigational chemotherapy drug every day for the next three years. Through all of it, she has remained positive and optimistic knowing that God is stronger than these “stupid tumors.” Her family is praying so hard for a miracle and has spent the last 28 months trying to live their best days ever. Addison has so much more life to live and it is her family's goal to show her as much of the world as they can and to make all of her dreams come true. This fight ain’t over!

Did you know that the moon is 238,900 miles away from the Earth?

We want to turn those miles into donations! 
Every $1 equals 1 mile closer to our goal, 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 $16.4 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.