Legislative Work
Climb the Hill
Our Amazing Fighters has been going to Capitol Hill since 2017 to advocate for better research, funding, and legislation for pediatric cancer patients and survivors. While we often have meetings in person, during the coronavirus pandemic, we lobbied several times a week, virtually. In addition to the national-level work we have supported, we have also participated in local/state legislative work and initiatives.
Additionally, Our Amazing Fighters has secured annual state, county, & city proclamations during the month of September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in 4 states, & over 10 localities.
OUR PROJECTS
Our Advocacy Work
Bills & Legislation We Have Advocated For
Race for Children's Act
The Race for Children’s Act promotes research and drug development for pediatric cancer. It was passed unanimously in the house of representatives in 2017. Prior to this being passed, only a handful of cancer drugs were being studied in children. Now, this billauthorizes the FDA to direct companies developing cancer drugs for adults to study those drugs in kids when the molecular targets of the new drugs are substantially relevant to children’s cancers.
Star Act
The STAR Act was the most comprehensive pediatric cancer legislation to ever pass in congress. STAR stands for Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research. It addressed some of the major issues facing the childhood cancer community especially regarding quality of life, looked at improving efforts to identify and track incidences, and expanded opportunities relating to research.
The Reauthorization of Creating Hope Act
The Creating the Hope Act was originally passed in 2012. Since pediatric drug development is not “profitable”, for drug companies, this legislation created vouchers to incentivize and award companies that do so. It passed again in 2019 and will have to be reauthorized again in 2024.
Gabriella Miller Kid's First Research Act 2.0
Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 was originally signed into law in 2014. It takes nontaxpayer, penalties collected when pharmaceutical, cosmetic, supplement, and medical device companies break the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and redirects them to critical rare pediatric disease research. At Our Amazing Fighters, we like to say its making beauty from ashes.
H. Res 114 (Moonshot4Kids)
Moonshot4Kids is the national DIPG awareness resolution with the goal to make May 17th “DIPG Awareness Day." The goal: To educate our elected officials about DIPG and the unmet and urgent needs of pediatric cancer patients, raise greater awareness for childhood brain cancer, and to encourage research into cures for pediatric cancers in general. "The catalyst to a cure starts with awareness." (Moonshot 4 Kids)
The Give Kids a Chance Act
Kids should be given the same chance as adults to beat cancer. The Give Kids a Chance Act amends the Race for Children Act and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) and ensures that kids have access to to combination studies of new cancer drugs. This bull costs taxpayers $0 and will in-turn save the lives of kids fighting cancer. Our Amazing Fighters is honored to be an advocacy group endorsing the Give Kids a Chance Act.
Awareness
Raising Awareness
Part of Our Amazing Fighters mission is spreading awareness and advocating on behalf of all kids who have or are fighting pediatric cancer. Our Amazing Fighters started off as a social media page and we love getting to honor warriors, remember angels and share facts on our page. We share the stories of amazing fighters to about 10,000 followers on Facebook and 8,000 followers on Instagram.
You can follow us on social media from below.
Additional Awareness Initiatives...
Our Amazing Fighters has participated in several events with President Biden's "Cancer Moonshot Initiative." Our executive director, LeAnna, was personally invited to the White House for the Childhood Cancer Forum in September.
Additionally, other awareness initiatives have included local and state proclamations. In 2022, Our Amazing Fighters secured governor "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" declarations in Virginia, Mississippi, and New Hampshire, as well as several other city and county proclamations.
Our Amazing Fighters has also been a part of several "Gold Lightings" including Niagara Falls, The Virginia Governors Mansion, and Wilson Hall at James Madison University.
