(Radio Iowa) – A House subcommittee has advanced a bill to set up an annual appropriation of three MILLION dollars for pediatric cancer research in Iowa. A group of parents were at the Capitol yesterday (Wednesday) urging lawmakers to pass the plan. Kristi Polonsky of Fairfield spoke on behalf of her son Jack, who died of cancer last July at the age of 15.
“Nebraska’s been doing this for 12 years. They were actually the first state to really put in state funding for this,” Polonsky said. “They have 10 new drug treatments for brain cancer. They’re working with pediatric cancer…We would like to see the State of Iowa join them in that mission.” Isabelle Ireland of Sigourney was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer when she was 16 years old and had a 10-percent chance of survival.
“The treatment plans that were in place were only created a couple of years before I was diagnosed,” she said, “so if it wasn’t for research and just medical leaders in other states who were able to give that information to our state, I would not be standing here today.” Ireland says it’s time for Iowa to join the fight against childhood cancer. Many of those who testified said more research is necessary because current treatments for childhood cancer are incredibly toxic and cause secondary cancers.
Scott Kass says his family spent six months at the Children’s Hospital in Iowa City in 2023 after his daughter Devyn was diagnosed with leukemia. “Her chemo therapy treatment was the same treatment that her great great uncle received in 2001, just watered down for a seven month old baby,” Kass said, “so when you think of an 81 year old man and a seven month old baby getting the exact same treatment, we need research.”
Devyn’s cancer is in remission and she was with her father at the Iowa Capitol yesterday (Wednesday). John Foth of Des Moines donated stem cells last May for his younger sister, Ava, who was diagnosed with a therapy-related cancer early last year. “Every single day, even today, kind of just living in fear imaging a phone call of another relapse,” Foth said, “and I’m just here in advocacy of the pediatric funding just to make sure that other kids and siblings don’t have to go through the same thing that my family went through because it just really changes your life.”
The bill that would provide state government funding for research of treatments for childhood cancers is eligible for a vote in the House Appropriations Committee next week.
