Dear Editor
The Friends of Melana (FOM) Foundation was established in Garrettsville, Ohio, in honor and memory of our granddaughter, Melana Matson, who lost her battle with children’s glioma cancer in 2009 at the age of 9. Our hope is that no child, no family, no community will ever have to experience what Melana and her loved ones did again.
Childhood glioma cancer research is grossly underfunded. The glioma tumors account for almost 45% of all tumors and 85-95% of children diagnosed with a malignant glioma tumor die within five years. Thanks to many generous donors and volunteers, the Friends of Melana Foundation has raised nearly $75,000 for children’s glioma cancer research through fund-raising events. This year we are conducting a fundraising campaign by letter and email in lieu of hosting a fall event.
In 2011, the Friends of Melana partnered with the Cleveland- based Prayers From Maria Children‘s Glioma Cancer Foundation. We have pooled our resources and, as a result, almost $500,000 in grants has been awarded researchers at Cleveland MetroHealth Medical Center, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Case Western Reserve University College of Medicine. These grants have produced some very positive results. The Children’s Glioma Cancer Foundation named its 2014 grant to Case Western Reserve University to fund its cutting edge research into the use of nanotechnology to more effectively and less toxically treat gliomas, the Melana Matson Memorial Grant. This was the first grant awarded in honor of a stricken child.
We want to sustain this momentum and we invite you to join us in supporting children’s glioma cancer research. All dollars donated help support our mission of funding the most promising children’s brain cancer research. You can make a tax-deductible donation online at https://www.crowdrise.com/friendsofmelanaresearch or send a check, payable to Friends of Melana, to P.O. Box 204, Garrettsville, Ohio 44231.
We thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Norm and Joyce Fashing
Prayers from Maria Foundation dba Friends of Melana is a 501c3 organization, donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
