Nice to Meet You
Kate and Matt Hare established The Callahan Murphy Hare Foundation in September 2021, following the April birth of their son Callahan, who was diagnosed with infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a genetic variant of childhood leukemia, within hours of birth.
The family quickly learned Callahan’s prognosis — a devastating 20% chance of surviving three years. This pediatric cancer subtype has few treatment options and is resistant to treatment due to a genetic change that occurs on one of the chromosomes in the bone marrow.
Upending their life to follow a recent study with potentially significantly better outcomes that Callahan’s oncologist found that was done in Japan, Callahan (and mom and dad) stayed inpatient at Nationwide Children's in Columbus, OH for the first 8 months of his life.
Throughout this time, the Hare's became immersed in the pediatric cancer world. As they learned more about their son's diagnosis, and the cancers of other pediatric patients they met during their stay, along with the minimal federal funding for pediatric cancers, Kate and Matt were motivated to be a part of the movement to impact the awareness and funding for pediatric cancers. Perhaps most importantly, funding kinder treatments that are developed specifically for children.
Putting an exclamation point on their newfound purpose, Callahan’s planned bone marrow transplant - what was described as his best chance at a cure - was cancelled days before it was scheduled due to significant liver damage caused from the intense chemotherapy he’d received during his main course of treatment. All of the chemotherapy in Callahan’s regimen were developed for adults and, horrifically, were developed between 1947 and 1968. Why are our most vulnerable getting therapies that were created, on average SIXTY years ago? How is this happening?
With a damaged liver, the ability for Callahan, then 7.5 months old, to withstand transplant was low. The family quickly pivoted into maintenance therapy with the hope that will sustain his remission. Big sister Campbell showed incredible resilience during this time. Keeping a positive, loving, sisterly attitude despite only meeting her new brother twice during these eight months before he finally came home in December 2021. Callahan is currently in remission, loving life at home and working hard to catch up on his physical and cognitive delays caused by the chemotherapy he received. He will be on maintenance therapy through April 2023.
Committed to Impacting:
The federal cancer budget allocating just 4% to research for the 112 types of pediatric cancer. Increased funding will impact the several types of pediatric cancer that have made minimal advancements, have no treatment plan or 0% survival rate.
The development of new therapies developed for pediatric cancer so children are no longer predominantly treated with therapies that were developed 70+ years ago. New, targeted therapies will help minimize the developmental delays, and in some cases other cancers developed, many pediatric patients currently struggle with.
Awareness for pediatric cancer and educating around the myth that it is rare. Over 17,000 families are touched by pediatric cancer every year. Due to the age of diagnosis, the sheer amount of time children who survive their disease deal with the repercussions and potential relapse compounds any so-called rarity. Add to that, the roughly 20% of pediatric cancer patients who succumb to their disease, lose an average 70 years of life. Driving awareness to raise funding will give children touched by cancer an improved chance to grow up and live their life.
We will impact the path forward for pediatric cancer treatments. We have to.
With an objective to support innovative research at children’s hospitals across the United States to support expanded protocols, trials and therapy development specific to pediatric cancers, CMHF has donated +$260,000 for pediatric cancer research at children’s research institutions, including Nationwide Children’s, Boston Children’s , Children’s National, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Cincinnatti Children’s since launching in 2021.
Medical Advisory Board
Suzanne M. Reed, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Dr. Suzanne Reed is an associate professor of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University College of Medicine and has been faculty at Nationwide Children’s since 2012. She has a special interest and expertise in the care of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She also is an associate program director of Nationwide’s pediatric residency program and has a secondary focus in medical education. In her spare time, she loves NYT crosswords, eating her husband’s delicious cooking, and learning about dinosaurs and Harry Potter from her two sons.
Dr. Andrew Picca is a physician in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. He graduated from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in 2017, and completed his Pediatric Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2020. He received his fellowship training in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology from The Ohio State University/Nationwide Children's Hospital in 2023. Dr. Picca is passionate about training the next generation of physicians and healthcare providers, and has academic focus in medical education. He received his Master of Arts in Biomedical Education from The Ohio State University, and has received grant funding for medical education focused research. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife, friends, and family.
Andrew J. Picca, D.O., MAEd. MUSC Children's Health Hematology Oncology at Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital