The Max Cure Foundation
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Mission Statement
The Max Cure Foundation, Inc. (“MCF”) is a national 501(c)(3) childhood cancer foundation founded and located in New Jersey. MCF’s mission is to fund research for the development of pediatric cancer therapies, including funding to discover less toxic treatments for children, to financially assist low income and military families battling cancer in their children, and through advocacy, to pursue legislative and regulatory changes that benefit children with cancer and, at the same time, raise awareness to the needs of those fighting pediatric cancer.
About This Cause
The day before his fourth birthday, Max Plotkin was diagnosed with a rare form of B-Cell Lymphoma, stage four, that originated in his right elbow and metastasized to his left knee. After learning first-hand the reality of childhood cancer including the severe lack of research funding and issues with severe financial struggles that impact families following a child’s diagnosis, the Plotkin family created The Max Cure Fund at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2007 to support the creation of an immuno-oncology laboratory. Shortly after the formation of the Max Cure Fund, MCF was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation. Since then, MCF has expanded our research mission and funding, and to-date has granted over $1.5 million dollars for childhood cancer research. Following the early years of MCF’s operations, MCF expanded its mission with the addition of two pillars. While continuing to fund research, the mission now includes the Roar Beyond Barriers program as described above. This support has included the provision of monthly gift cards to purchase necessary household items, and, through our partners, families enrolled in the program also receive: environmentally friendly “green” cleaning products, craft boxes for the kids to use during treatment, and a large gender specific and age-appropriate assortment of toys from a well-known national brand. Max’s diagnosis began a legacy and a commitment to the fight against childhood cancer that seeks to grow its impact upon the lives of those fighting childhood cancer today, those to be diagnosed tomorrow and those who have survived the fight. Each year in the United States, approximately 15,780 children 19 years of age and under are diagnosed with cancer. There are in excess of 16 different main types of pediatric cancers and over 100 sub-types, with about 2,700 children dying each year within five years of diagnosis. Many believe the total number of deaths each year to be much higher. There are an estimated 420,000+ survivors of pediatric cancer in the United States today, and it is believed that this number will increase to 500,000 by 2020. Of these survivors, it is estimated that 98% suffer acute long-term health related side effects, with a mortality rate that is eight (8) times higher than normal. In New Jersey specifically, previous epidemiology surveys demonstrate that children in the state have a higher incidence and diagnosis rate of cancer than on a national level. Specifically, from 1993-2003 children in New Jersey had a higher incidence rate of childhood cancer than children across the United States outside of New Jersey. Children 0-14 years of age in New Jersey had a 1.7% greater chance of being diagnosed with cancer than a child of similar age in the United States outside of New Jersey. Similarly, in that same time period, children ages 0-19 in New Jersey were 1.9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than that same age range in the United States outside of New Jersey. The statistical incidence rates of childhood cancer diagnoses in New Jersey and the number of treatment institutions in the state create a population of greater need and focus for organizations like the Max Cure Foundation. Cancer continues to hold its spot as the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Of the approximately 600,000 deaths each year in this country due to cancer, a leading oncologist Harold Freeman, MD stated in a report that he believes 200,000 of these deaths are preventable. MCF believes that included among the 200,000 preventable deaths are an inordinately large number of children from financially challenged families. Dr. Freeman boldly remarked, "[B]eing poor should not be a death sentence." When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease like cancer, the entire family is affected on multiple levels. Families experience crippling financial stress as a result of costs associated with seeking treatments, travel for treatment, inability to maintain work/employment, increased food costs associated with attempting to maintain healthy nutrition, and many unexpected costs as a result of the overwhelming and all-encompassing nature of having a child diagnosed with cancer. This crippling impact is especially felt in low-income families where economic barriers may prevent children with cancer from obtaining more effective forms of treatment. In many instances both parents work and one or both must either quit their job or work fewer hours to attend to their child. According to research done by the Dana-Farber Institute, there is a direct correlation between poverty and mortality rates as it applies to childhood cancer. Since November 2011, MCF has provided assistance to 120 families at countless hospitals and clinics across the United States, with a significant concentration in the New Jersey and New York area. Since that time, MCF has provided over $500,000 in direct financial support to these families as well as $79,000 in grants to sustain psychosocial programs and services in hospitals and clinics. Most recently, we provided a grant to Maimonides Cancer Center allowing them to bring back child life specialist services for children with cancer after budgetary constraints caused them to make the difficult decision to cut this valuable component of care. In 2017, MCF was selected to receive a generous grant from Love Your Melon that allowed MCF to expand our RBB program to include five first-responder families with a child battling cancer. And, as noted above, families in the program receive additional items of comfort and support to help while their child remains in active treatment.