Children's receives $10 million gift from the MACC Fund to advance childhood cancer care

MILWAUKEE, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Wisconsin announced today it has been awarded a $10 million gift from the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc.) to support and continue to improve the survivorship and quality of life of children with cancer and blood disorders through excellence of care, research and education. The gift is the largest single gift the MACC Fund has made to a hospital.

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This gift will be used to further cancer and blood disorders research in three areas: discovery and testing of new drug therapies, increased use of cellular therapies and further genetic research for personalized cancer therapies. The combined goals of these approaches are to increase survival for children battling some of the toughest forms of the disease and improve the quality of life for all survivors through lessening side effects of treatment.

The cancer and blood disorders program at Children's Hospital, which is nationally recognized by both Parents magazine and U.S.News & World Report, will be renamed the MACC Fund Center. With access to key resources and related specialties, it provides the most efficient, personalized and comprehensive care and has a number of specialized programs and clinics to treat a variety of pediatric cancers and blood disorders. Since the program began in 1980:

• More than 5,000 children have received care through the Oncology Program, which provides highly specialized treatment for a variety of childhood cancers and conducts novel research. Children's Hospital is the only children's hospital in the state designated as a Phase I Center by Children's Oncology Group, an award given to just 21 centers nationwide. This means children benefit from cutting-edge clinical research trials and the clinical team is at the forefront of discovering new therapies. 
• More than 1,000 children have received blood and marrow transplants. The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program is internationally recognized for its expertise in allogeneic transplant, including unrelated donor blood and marrow transplants for a variety of childhood cancers and hematologic disorders. With this gift, the program will improve and expand research related to understanding the immune system and how to harness immune cells to fight cancer and reduce transplant-related mortality.
• And each year, 400 children are actively managed for sickle cell disease and 800 new patients are treated for other blood disorders. The Hematology Program offers comprehensive services for the treatment of children, adolescents and adults with acute and chronic blood disorders.

"Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is grateful for its long standing partnership with the MACC Fund, an organization exceptionally dedicated to improving the survivorship and quality of life of children with cancer and blood disorders," said Peggy Troy, CEO, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. "This gift further enables Children's Hospital, in collaboration with the dedicated physicians and researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, to offer innovative and effective therapies for children with high-risk cancers."

"Children's Hospital, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the MACC Fund have long shared a vision of marshaling necessary resources on behalf of children battling cancer and blood disorders, through a fusion of bold research and compassionate care," said Marcio H. Malogolowkin, MD, medical director, MACC Fund Center, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and chief, professor, Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin. "This investment has been tremendously successful, resulting in increased awareness of pediatric cancer while serving as a catalyst for increased collaboration of clinical and basic scientists."

Jon McGlocklin, co-founder and president of the MACC Fund, noted, "The MACC Fund is excited to continue to advance the longstanding relationship with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Children's Hospital has distinguished itself in many disciplines including cancer and blood disorders. The MACC Fund is proud to partner with Children's in these areas thanks to the boundless generosity of our donors."

About Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is the region's only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wis., is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. It is ranked No. 4 in the nation by Parents magazine and ranked in 9 specialty areas in

U.S.News & World Report's 2013-14 Best Children's Hospitals report. Children's Hospital provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2011, Children's Hospital invested more than $100 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children's Hospital achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a member of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. For more information, visit the website at chw.org.

About the MACC Fund
The MACC Fund, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc., supports translational research in the MACC Fund Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and scientific research at the Medical College of Wisconsin in the MACC Fund Research Center and at the University of Wisconsin's Carbone Cancer Center in the MACC Fund Childhood Cancer Research Wing of the Wisconsin Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center. Since its inception in 1976, the MACC Fund has contributed $45 million for pediatric cancer and blood disorder research for diseases like aplastic anemia and sickle cell. The overall cure rate for childhood cancer has risen from 20 percent to 88 percent during this time with the MACC Fund's support playing an important role in that progress. Children in the 80 percent range might still encounter "late effects" of the treatment, however, which requires continued research as well.  Visit www.maccfund.org for more information.

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Wisconsin