Aparna Ranganathan’s Post

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to go on TV to talk about our events and why fundraisers like this matter. Thanks Local 3 News for having me on again this year! Watch here:

Always promoting the importance of sun protection...

Every 2 minutes a parent is told that their kid has cancer. This marks the fourth year in a row that I will be shaving my head to stand in solidarity with all of the brave fighters, battling pediatric cancer. Since my first time shaving in 2020, St. Baldrick's has made incredible impacts: - In what some say is the biggest increase seen from a single clinical trial, the 5-year survival rate of children with high-risk group 3 medulloblastoma increases from 54% to 73%. (2021) - With St. Baldrick’s as a key supporter, Data for the Common Good houses the world’s largest set of harmonized clinical data for pediatric cancer research, allowing scientists access to this diverse data. (2022) - More than 6,000 Honored Kids now inspire shavees, teams, and events to raise funds in their honor or memory, for lifesaving research. (2023) But the fight is still not over. Even today, 1 in 5 kids with cancer will not survive, 2 out of 3 survivors will develop long-term effects from their life-saving treatments, and every 2 minutes this nightmare starts again. Let's put a stop to this by funding the best research in the world. Please consider donating today to help give kids a lifetime. https://lnkd.in/ecCEXhj6

April marks Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial time to shed light on this often overlooked form of cancer. Testicular cancer doesn't discriminate – it can affect anyone with testicles, including men, transgender (trans) women, and people assigned male at birth. With around 2,300 individuals diagnosed each year, awareness is key. Whether you're personally impacted by testicular cancer or simply want to learn more, we're here to provide valuable information and support. Let's join forces to raise awareness and encourage early detection. Together, we can make a difference. https://lnkd.in/eWqiC5nc 💙 #TesticularCancerAwareness #EarlyDetection #HealthAwareness 🎗️

🎉 To celebrate StacheStrong turning 6 (yesterday), we launched a BRAND NEW WEBSITE to showcase all we’ve accomplished and been through. Check it out at StacheStrong.org and read below for more on reaching 6 years. 🤯 I still remember submitting the documents to incorporate a 501(c)3 with GJ in 2018 with no clue what we were doing. All that mattered was that we were going to flip the script on this disease and help others in any way we could – together. 📈In 6 years since that point, we’ve funded over $4,000,000 of brain cancer research, including 40+ grants at 25+ institutions across the country. 💻 We’ve provided a platform for thousands as we’ve continued to inspire and provide hope. We’ve even helped patients/families navigate this disease, both medically and emotionally. 👨🏻🦱 It all started with my brother keeping the mood light by going into brain surgery with a fresh mustache. Something so simple is changing lives EVERY day. That’s who GJ was – and continues to be – through StacheStrong. 💪🏻 Reaching 6 years as an org is 3x longer than GJ lived with GBM, which almost seems impossible. We’ve been running full speed ahead since starting StacheStrong and have far exceeded anyone’s wildest expectations along the way. Throughout it all, I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve stayed true to our roots of raising funds and awareness for brain cancer research. That’s what GJ did – and continues to do – through StacheStrong. 👨👩👧👦 95%+ of those diagnosed with this disease will never get to live as long after being diagnosed with GBM as StacheStrong has been incorporated. That. Has. To Change. The grants, advocacy, events, and support are the lifeblood of what StacheStrong is, but to me, there’s nothing more important than the community we’ve created. We’ve met countless people/families facing the same diagnosis that we once walked through, and their stories have become forever intertwined with StacheStrong. In fact, this has now become THEIR story, just as much as it is ours. That’s what GJ built – and continues to build – through StacheStrong. 🧍🏼♂️🧍🏻♂️One day, I hope a set of brothers have an answer and a viable treatment through the collaborative efforts of all those fighting for change. That’s what GJ fought for – and continues to fight for – through StacheStrong.

14 years ago, I decided to make a difference by fundraising for pediatric cancer research through the St Baldrick's Foundation. With your help, in my first 13 years shaving, I’ve raised over $86,000 for St. Baldrick’s. In 2024, I hope to break $100,000 milestone! Whether you’ve been personally touched by childhood cancer, or you stand in solidarity with kids you don’t even know, please help me reach my fundraising goal to support pediatric cancer research! https://lnkd.in/eez8bapg The statistics are scary! Worldwide, a child is diagnosed every 2 minutes. In the US, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. Two minutes from now, a child will be diagnosed with cancer, and another family will face the very real possibility of losing their child. Kids' cancers are different from adult cancers and childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. Since 2005, St. Baldrick's has provided >$340 million to fund cancer research grants, more than any organization other than the US National Cancer Institute. Every grant goes through a rigorous scientific review process, ensuring every dollar has the greatest possible impact for children with cancer by funding: new discovery research, translational research, clinical trials, and training the next generation of pediatric oncologists. Will you please make a donation to help? #stbaldricks #pediatriccancer #cancer #childhoodcancer Cheers, Dave

5 days until my shave for St Baldrick's, please help me reach a huge milestone! 14 years ago, I decided to make a difference by fundraising for pediatric cancer research through the St Baldrick's Foundation. Back then, I grew hair on top of my head and my face to shave for fundraising, now the best I can do is grow a beard but I’ve put some time into growing it. With your help, in my first 13 years shaving, I’ve raised over $86,000 for St. Baldrick’s. In 2024, I hope to break $100,000 milestone! Whether you’ve been personally touched by childhood cancer, or you stand in solidarity with kids you don’t even know, please help me reach my fundraising goal to support pediatric cancer research. https://lnkd.in/eez8bapg The statistics are scary! Worldwide, a child is diagnosed every 2 minutes. In the US, more children die of childhood cancer than any other disease. Two minutes from now, a child will be diagnosed with cancer, and another family will face the very real possibility of losing their child. Kids' cancers are different from adult cancers and childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. Since 2005, St. Baldrick's has provided >$340 million to fund cancer research grants, more than any organization other than the US National Cancer Institute. Every grant goes through a rigorous scientific review process, ensuring every dollar has the greatest possible impact for children with cancer by funding: new discovery research, translational research, clinical trials, and training the next generation of pediatric oncologists. Will you please make a donation to help? #stbaldricks #pediatriccancer #cancer #childhoodcancer Cheers, Dave

Sharing an insightful interview with Memorial Sloan Kettering President & CEO Dr. Selwyn Vickers discussing advancements in cancer treatment. As someone battling prostate cancer, I find the progress in this field both hopeful and insightful. This interview sheds light on the complexities of cancer, its treatment, and the importance of research. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the latest developments in oncology. #CancerAwareness #ProstateCancer #OncologyResearch #CancerTreatment #MedicalInnovation #HealthcareLeaders #CancerSurvivor #MemorialSloanKettering #CancerResearch #FightCancer

The Dutch Research Council (NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek)) has awarded nine million euros to Stichting ADORE as part of the Long Term Program (KIC 2020-2023), a collaboration between research, industry, and society that focuses on life expectancy, quality of life, and the burden of care. With the funding NWO wants to emphasize cooperation between knowledge institutions, private entities, and the government. One such challenge is the rising number of cancer cases, projected to increase from 800,000 in 2022 to 1.4 million by 2031. This means that 1 in 2 people in the Netherlands will receive a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Another pressing challenge is dementia—1 in 5 people are expected to develop this condition—and, on average, one person per day in the Netherlands is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. To tackle these growing concerns, NWO is providing 25 million euros in funding. Two research consortia have been selected for the NWO Long Term Program (KIC) funding. One of them, the ADORE project, will unite the fields of oncology and neurology, leveraging their complementary expertise to achieve urgently needed scientific breakthroughs. The ADORE Research & Diagnostics Center will be the largest onco-neuro campus in the world, with over 2,000 researchers from Amsterdam UMC - Cancer Center Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC - Amsterdam Neuroscience joining forces. They have one common goal: effective, personalized treatment, for every patient. To do so, shared mechanisms that drive disease progression between the two disease types will be identified, and shared expertise and infrastructure will accelerate such findings. Investigating molecular and cellular processes shared by cancer and neurodegenerative diseases is expected to improve treatment options and develop new therapies. The 9 million awarded to ADORE will be invested into a 30 million, 10-year research program to which the ADORE foundation, Amsterdam UMC and partners Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Leiden University Medical Center, UMC Utrecht, TU Delft, OMAPiX and Pivot Park have contributed. Watch the video in Dutch about ADORE with Guus Smit, Geert Kazemier Kazemier, Niels van Buren and Dennis De Graaf. Amsterdam UMC – MS Centrum Amsterdam