A Game-Changing Grant for Meningioma Research!

Thanks to your tremendous support, we’re thrilled to award an initial grant of $10,000 to Dr. Hiro Wakimoto, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, and his groundbreaking research lab. This is a crucial “first pitch” in our journey to hit a home run against meningiomas.

Dedicated to Our Fearless Fighters

The grant is deeply dedicated to two courageous individuals. First, our Fearless Fighter, Livi Jones, who embodies extraordinary resilience, having survived an astonishing 13 craniotomies over the past 22 years. At just 28, she continues to battle multiple meningiomas in her brain and on her spine and is courageously undergoing chemotherapy to treat them.

This dedication also honors the loving memory of our cherished Meningioma Mommas’ teammate, Debbie Burnett, who tragically lost her battle five years ago.

Her husband, Tom Burnett, shares the following:

“Her persistence in the ongoing search for a successful treatment and cure should serve as an inspiration to us all. She never let it get her hopes down. She was positive about life even close to the end.”

The Burnett family’s dedication to this fight runs deep, as they were instrumental in funding one of Dr. Wakimoto’s previous Meningioma Mommas grants. Debbie bravely fought meningiomas from 1999 to 2020. Their unwavering spirit fuels our commitment to this fight.

Powering Innovative Research

Dr. Wakimoto’s dedication to understanding and treating meningiomas is profoundly personal. He shared his appreciation for our community’s consistent backing, stating:

“It means so much to us. Without the support from Meningioma Mommas, we could not have made the progress that we fortunately made in the lab. Indeed, Meningioma Momma’s support has been essential as our multiple attempts to gain federal funds have not been successful.”

His team is making promising advancements, focusing on a critical growth mechanism in meningioma cells: the RAF/MEK signaling pathway. Imagine this pathway as a relentless batter, continually “hitting for the cycle” and fueling uncontrolled tumor growth. Dr. Wakimoto’s research is exploring a drug that could effectively halt this pathway, providing a vital “out” in the game against meningiomas.

This initial $10,000 grant marks the start of our ambitious goal to make this the largest grant in our history. We’re striving to raise $250,000 to directly fund Dr. Wakimoto’s vital RAF/MEK research, a landmark investment in hope and progress.

Join Our Team and Make an Impact

Every single contribution—be it a single, a double, or even a sacrifice fly—brings us closer to empowering this crucial research and accelerating breakthroughs. We’ve started strong, and with scores of dedicated team members in our dugout, we know the collective impact we can achieve.

Thank you for being an MVP in this fight and helping us strengthen our swing against meningiomas. Let’s continue this winning streak for Livi, in memory of Debbie, and for all those affected by meningioma. Your generosity is truly hitting it home.