Emily Whitehead Foundation

It has been eight years since we first launched the Emily Whitehead Foundation! As the foundation continues to grow, our mission to help families #ActivateTheCure remains central to everything we do. Today, we are thrilled to release a new video that captures the commitment of our team, our board of directors, our dedicated volunteers, and our family to fulfill that quest. 🎥 Tell Us GmbH (Marwin Gansauge) Tom Whitehead Kari Whitehead George Eastwood Amanda Hunt Jodie Potter Jon Condo Tom Smith Tom Garrett #EmilyWhiteheadFoundation #cartcelltherapy #patientadvocacy #childhoodcancer #immunotherapy #patientstories #cellandgenetherapy #nonprofit #cancerresearch #writeabetterstory

We are only three weeks away from our signature Believe Ball! As we count down to September 27, we thank our sponsors for their generous support of our mission. Thank you to our Platinum Sponsors Aldevron, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System and WuXi Biologics for believing with us. Don’t miss the chance to join us for this inspiring event and to support a brighter future for more cancer patients and their families. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and tickets are on sale to the general public. Believe with us: https://lnkd.in/eb9Q8Rj8

At the 2024 BIO International Convention this summer, the Emily Whitehead Foundation partnered with Bullpen for a conversation on the power of the patient voice in advanced therapies. Foundation Board Chair and Executive Director George Eastwood joined @Amelia Newbury Amelia Newbury, Executive Vice President at SmartLabs, to share the Foundation’s work in amplifying the voices of patients and caregivers and integrating their experiences into cell therapy development. “We really don’t know what a patient goes through until we spend a day with them in their world,” George said. Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/dKVNNpfb Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Our signature Believe Ball wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors, and we’re so grateful for their support of our mission. Thank you to our Diamond Sponsors Penn Medicine Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Clinical Cell & Vaccine Production Facility and GenScript for believing with us. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this inspiring event, and your contribution will help us get one step closer to a cancer-free future. Become a Believe Ball sponsor: https://lnkd.in/eb9Q8Rj8 Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System University of Pennsylvania GenScript

We are continuing our “Warrior Wednesday” series with Laurie Adami, who celebrates over six years of being cancer-free! After over a year of experiencing persistent symptoms and being dismissed by doctors, 46-year-old Laurie Adami was diagnosed with stage IV incurable follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She completed six cycles of chemotherapy and was in complete remission until scans at her 3-month follow-up appointment revealed she relapsed. Laurie began a 12-year journey of enrolling in clinical trials, trying new therapies, celebrating short-term success, relapsing and fighting to stay alive. In 2012, Laurie watched the documentary “Fire with Fire” and learned about Emily Whitehead’s miraculous journey and the promise of CAR-T therapy. She had to wait six years until a clinical trial opened for her disease. In July 2018, Laurie received her T-cells. One month later, her scans showed she was in complete remission and today she celebrates six years of being cancer-free! Laurie’s mission as a survivor is to raise awareness of CAR-T therapy and help patients have better access to treatment. She is currently writing a memoir that shares the lessons she learned throughout her cancer journey to help patients on the road behind her. When Laurie’s journey felt never-ending, the hope of Emily’s story inspired her to keep fighting day by day until a trial opened. Learn how your support can help provide more hope to patients and caregivers on their care journeys. https://lnkd.in/eb9Q8Rj8

We believe in a brighter future for all pediatric cancer patients and their families -- one without toxic treatments, fear of relapse or loss of life. Thank you to Chris Barkey and Swissfinity Group for believing with us and for remaining committed to improving patient access to advanced therapies. We look forward to celebrating the exciting future of immunotherapy with Swissfinity at this year’s Believe Ball!

Emily Whitehead’s groundbreaking treatment ushered in a new era of hope for cancer patients and their families. Her miraculous story from patient to survivor inspired Ishwari Salunkhe, who became the first pediatric patient in India to receive CAR T-cell therapy and be declared cancer-free. Emily and Ishwari had the opportunity to connect for a heartwarming conversation, reflecting on their remarkable journeys. They were joined by Tom Whitehead, Dr. (Surg Cdr) Gaurav Narula, Dr. Albeena Nisar, and Shalini Jatia, Officer-in-Charge of the ImpaCCT Foundation. Their discussion is a powerful reminder of the importance of ensuring that every patient who can be treated with advanced therapies has access to these life-saving treatments. As Emily’s story continues to inspire scientists, doctors, patients and caregivers around the world, we remain dedicated to turning her story into more survivor stories.

As Keynote Speakers at the DIA 2024 Global Annual Meeting, Emily and Tom Whitehead recently shared the story of Emily’s battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and her inspiring journey as the first pediatric CAR T-cell therapy patient. Their moving presentation urged companies and drug manufacturers to increase awareness and communication about clinical trials and new therapies to help more patients have access to innovative treatments. Emily also shared her personal testimony to motivate researchers and developers to continue their vital work, knowing that their dedication directly impacts the lives of patients and families. “We like to put a face to who everyone this industry is helping,” Tom said. The Whiteheads continue to share their journey at industry conferences around the globe to help turn Emily’s survivor story into tens of thousands of survivor stories. Carie Pierce

Believe with us at our 2024 Believe Ball! Join us on September 27 at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia, the city where Emily became the first pediatric cancer patient treated with CAR-T therapy, for the fourth chapter of our signature Believe Ball. The event will bring together patients and caregivers with elite leaders in the advanced therapy sector, including Keynote Speaker Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA and Believe Ball honorary co-chairs Dr. Carl June, Dr. Bruce Levine and Dr. Stephan Grupp. Additionally, we look forward to honoring the recipients of our 2024 Embassador Awards at the event including the Bill Ludwig Advanced Therapies Pioneer Award, the inaugural Patient Beacon Award and The Nicole Gularte Fight for Cures Grant. Sponsorship opportunities are still available and, for the first time, tickets are on sale to the general public. Don’t miss the chance to join us for this inspiring event and to support a brighter future for more cancer patients and their families. Believe with us and together, we can #ActivateTheCure. https://lnkd.in/eb9Q8Rj8

We are continuing our “Warrior Wednesday” series with Bennett Cleugh, whose life and legacy will be honored at this year’s Believe Ball. At just four months old, Bennett was experiencing symptoms of the common cold when he suddenly stopped eating. His family knew something was wrong, and a visit to the emergency room led to Bennett being diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He began treatment with chemotherapy followed by blinatumomab, an immunotherapy. The treatments weren’t working, and his doctors recommended he enroll in a CAR T-Cell clinical trial for CD22. While Bennett initially responded well to CAR-T, his leukemia worked its way around the treatment and started rapidly progressing. Bennett passed away in March 2024 at ten months old. Bennett radiated joy. His nurses and doctors loved him so much and even nicknamed him “Mr. Smiley.” Bennett was only ten months old but could wrap his arms around his mother to give her a hug and open his mouth to give kisses. He loved spending time with his big sister and enjoyed watching the television series Gabby’s Dollhouse. Bennett’s family believes that Bennett could potentially still be here today if he had access to CAR T-cell therapy earlier in his journey. His story motivates us to continue to increase awareness of advanced therapies and the need for wider access to treatment. Learn how your support can help CAR-T, and other advanced therapies, become a first choice rather than a last resort: https://lnkd.in/eb9Q8Rj8