Our Community

PLGA Teams

The PLGA Foundation is committed to the families of children suffering from PLGA brain tumors. We are a resource for families to connect with each other and share experiences, information and other helpful resources.

We are also committed to finding kinder, gentler treatments and a cure for PLGA brain tumors. We are proud to present the PLGA Teams that are committed to the same!

Our PLGA Team Network welcomes its newest members:

Team Andrew - Andrew has a JPA and he is FURIOUS. This articulate 9 year old has challenged his family to raise funds to find him a cure! Read his story of inspiration.

Existing Teams include:

	Team Chickaroo - April 26, 2007, 7 year old Caroline was diagnosed with an inoperable JPA in her optic chiasm/hypothalmic region. She knows that while she is living with the tumor, she is NOT in this fight alone. Her family and friends have rallied and are raising money for PLGA research, to find a cure.
	Team Abbie - Abbie was diagnosed with a JPA in her cerebellum in October 2006. She was 6 years old. Abbie's parents raised money last year for a local brain tumor foundation, and were alarmed when they realized that none of the funds raised would help their daughter. Abbie's parents are thrilled to be a FightPLGA team member to help ensure that no other parents have to hear the dreaded words, "Your baby has a brain tumor".
	Team Devon - Devon was diagnosed with JPA in October 2007. Her parents recently established the 'Endless Hope' website in her honor and will be joining in the fight against PLGA by fundraising for the PLGA Foundation.
	Team Hailey - On June 6, 2007, Hailey Jaye Meltz was diagnosed with a PLGA. She was just 20 months old. While undergoing treatments, Hailey's family has joined in the fight by creating their own website, holding multiple fundraising events, volunteering in the PGLA Foundation office, and providing PLGA Foundation with valuable input and reflection on our latest initiatives.

	Team Wyatt (Why Not Me?) - Diagnosed with a PLGA in 2004, Wyatt's parents moved quickly into 'fight' mode. They inquired with their local hospital about raising funds for PLGA research, but were told that there was NO designated PLGA research. Forming their own 501c3 called "Why Not Me?", they began raising funds and started their search for PLGA designated research. In 2006, Wyatt's parents founded fightjpa.org (the predecessor to the PLGA Foundation) and united in the fight. Team Wyatt joined the PLGA Foundation as a founding sponsor of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's PLGA Research Program.

	Team Endurance Trust - A non-profit institute in their own right, Team Endurance raises funds for the PLGA Foundation in honor of a colleague's son, Ben, who was diagnosed with PLGA in May 2005. Three co-workers at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals joined together to compete as an adventure team in grueling races around the world. They raise funds through corporate sponsorships, colleague support and Pfizer's United Way campaign.

	Team Jake - Since Jake was diagnosed with Fibrillary Astrocytoma in 2004, his family has rallied around the cause of finding a cure for PLGA. A founding member of the team that provided seed funding for the establishment of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's PLGA Research Program and a team for the past two years in the Brain Tumor Society's "Ride For Research", Team Jake is helping 'push the needle' on the pace of PLGA research.
	Team Jenna - When Jenna was diagnosed with an interventricular JPA in January 2007, she asked her mother "Am I going to die?" Her mother answered, "Not if I can help it!" Since diagnosis, Team Jenna has united with the PLGA Foundation in the fight and has lead the way lobbying congress to have PLGA included in the National Institute of Health's 2008 list of rare diseases to explore. By the NIH's ability to shine the spotlight on PLGA, the hope is that other researchers and clinicians from around the world will do the same - thus pushing the pace of research on this neglected disease. (See Jenna's video)
	Team Samantha - When Samantha was diagnosed in 2004 at age 3 with a brainstem JPA, her parents were horrified to learn that there was little known about the disease. They rallied and founded the fightjpa.org website to help other families. They also kicked off a fundraising initiative, reaching out to families across the world to raise money for dedicated PLGA research. PLGA Foundation was a direct outgrowth of this family's conviction that we can win the battle with PLGA by uniting the PLGA community worldwide and fighting together.
	Team TJ - TJ's diagnosis of a brainstem JPA in 2003 was the catalyst for his family to reach out to raise awareness and funds for dedicated PLGA research. As a founding member of the PLGA Foundation, TJ's family has helped accelerate the pace of promising research and is committed to finding a cure for kids around the world like TJ.
	Team Lucy - Lucy was diagnosed with an optic glioma in 2004. Since then, her family has helped create hope for kids with PLGA by providing much needed technical skills and fundraising efforts to the PLGA Foundation. Lucy's dad is an active technical consultant to the PLGA Foundation website.
	Team Shannen - Since Shannen was diagnosed with a corpus colloseum JPA, her family has united in the fight by volunteering with the PLGA Foundation on various projects ranging to lobbying efforts to research. They have also dedicated time and energy into fundraising by joining existing events in their local community to raise funds for dedicated PLGA research.
	Team Zackary - Zackary was diagnosed with Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma in 2005. Using the Firstgiving fundraising tool, Zackary's friends and family have joined with the PLGA Foundation to riase funds for research.

Becoming a PLGA Foundation Team is easy! We welcome any other teams, families, corporations, non-profits, etc. to UNITE in the FIGHT! Contact us at contact@fightplga.org to tell us about YOUR team!