Olivia Caldwell Foundation Donates $140K to Pediatric Cancer Research
The Olivia Caldwell Foundation recently donated $140,000 to support pediatric cancer research at the Children's Hospital Colorado.
That's according to a press release from the foundation, who wrote that this was the organization's largest donation in its history.
Over the last 9 years, the Olivia Caldwell Foundation has donated $785,000 in total grants research.
The release stated that the Olivia Caldwell Foundation donated $100,000 to "support research dedicated to finding more effective and less toxic treatments for a variety of pediatric cancers."
It also donated an additional $40,000 to match funds given by the Stella Strong Fund, of the OCF. This supports research for DIPG brain cancer which, according to the release, is an especially deadly form of pediatric cancer. It has a zero percent survival rate.
The release stated that research funded by the Olivia Caldwell Foundation and its partners with Stella Strong, has led to "better and more effective treatment options for 8 different types of pediatric cancers."
This includes the cancer that killed Olivia.
It was, inarguably, the worst thing that could ever happen to a parent. When Katie Caldwell-Burchett was told that her 4-month-old baby girl, Olivia, had brain cancer, time stood still. 16 months later, Olivia passed away and Katie was faced with a choice.
Read More: Olivia Caldwell Foundation Donates $120K to Children’s Hospital Colorado
The first choice was to allow herself to be enraptured by her grief. She could have let the pain, the sadness, the anger, the not-fair-of-it-all consume her. That would be the easy choice, and nobody would blame her. But there was another choice, and that choice was a little harder. That choice took a little (no, a lot) more strength. That choice involved wiping away the tears, leaning on friends, family, and the community, and creating something that was bigger than her; something that would honor Olivia and maybe, just maybe, help somebody else.
She chose the latter, and the Olivia Caldwell Foundation was born.
Now, 9 years later, the Olivia Caldwell Foundation has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to pediatric cancer research, and it has helped countless parents through the absolute heartache that comes with having a child suffering from cancer.
This year, the Olivia Caldwell Foundation gave their biggest check ever to the Children's Hospital Colorado, and they will continue to do for as long as they can.
Together, the Olivia Caldwell Foundation and Stella Strong work to help other families face a parent's worst fear.
They continue working together with the goal of providing better treatment options and hope to families in memory of two special Wyoming girls, Olivia Caldwell and Stella Beard.
The memory of both girls runs through both organizations, honoring two little girls who lost their lives, but who have helped countless others.
“When combined with the funds donated by Stella Strong, we collectively have given $873,000 to support life-saving research projects,” said Katie Burchett, CEO/Founder of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation. “The research we’ve funded has had a dramatic impact in the fight to find a cure for this horrific disease! We are truly grateful for the community in Casper and beyond who have supported us over the years. It is because of these incredible donors that our research team is saving the lives of children in Wyoming and beyond.”
To find out more about the Olivia Caldwell Foundation and all that they do for this community and others, visit their website or check out their Facebook page.