Honk! “Curing Childhood Cancer” License Plates Now Available in Arizona
Starting September 23, 2012, Arizona motorists can support childhood cancer research in their state with the purchase of special vanity license plates. The “Curing Childhood Cancer” plates are $25 per year, with $17 going to help fund childhood cancer research projects in Arizona, including the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. One in five children diagnosed with cancer succumbs to the disease, making cancer the number one non-violent cause of death in children.
"Our ability to provide cutting edge, family-centered care to children is positively impacted by the community's investment in our dedication to clinical research," says Michael Etzl, Jr., MD, Division Chief of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
After his daughter, Ella Rose Vidrine, was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood liver cancer at the age of 19 months, Ella’s father Lyndon Vidrine and their family and friends worked to found Ella’s Tea Party, the nonprofit organization that helped initiate and make these license plates available. Ella is beating the odds of cancer and offers a story of hope for those facing catastrophic childhood illness.
“This has been a four year personal journey in the making,” comments Lyndon. “After Ella’s diagnosis, we learned just how differently children respond to treatment than adults. We also learned how little funding is available to fund childhood cancer researchers’ work. We were determined to join the fight and help researchers.”
Arizona motorists can purchase these plates beginning September 23, 2012, by visiting www.ServiceArizona.com or by purchasing them at the MVD. The artwork for these plates was created by a Phoenix Children’s patient named Kamee Weeks, of Phoenix. Kamee is seven years old and has leukemia, which is now in remission.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital, ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals, is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country with 465 licensed beds, Phoenix Children’s provides care across nearly 50 pediatric specialties. The Hospital is poised for continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical education. For more information about the Hospital, visit www.phoenixchildrens.com.
About Ella’s Tea Party
Ella’s Tea Party, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization conceived by friends and family of Ella Rose Vidrine, a special little girl who is fighting the greatest fight of her life. At just 19 months of age she was diagnosed with a rare childhood liver cancer that had spread from her liver to her lungs. Through the support and encouragement of friends, family, and those who’ve heard her story, Ella is beating the odds and offers a story of hope for those facing catastrophic childhood illness. We believe more can and should be done to facilitate research efforts to find safer, more effective treatments for childhood cancer. For more information on Ella’s Tea Party, Inc., visit www.EllasTeaParty.com or call (480) 307-3990. (EIN 26-3825099)
--30--
Media Contact:
Allison Otu
602-933-0824
