“I need my childhood. Less and less kids are going to have their childhood if people don’t raise awareness and raise funds. Stop talking and start doing. We need action.” Gabriella was just 10 years old when she said these wise words just two weeks prior to her passing. 
When Gabriella was only 9 years old she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a terminal brain cancer. Doctors found that she had an inoperable tumor that was the size of a walnut. She quickly became a global advocate for kids with cancer and founded the Smashing Walnuts Foundation; whose mission is to increase awareness for childhood cancer and fund childhood brain cancer research. Less than a year after diagnosis, Gabriella was taken too soon. She was surrounded by family and friends who promised to continue her work.
In April 2014, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act was signed into law. This Bill launched a pediatric research initiative through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). When fully funded it will appropriate $126 million for childhood cancer and disease research. To date, $88 million has been appropriated in seven consecutive years as a result of Gabriella’s mission towards childhood cancer research. This funding source sunsets in just three short years.
The Gabriella Miller Kids First 2.0 was recently introduced in the House (H.R.623) with bipartisan support. It will provide a unique, perpetual revenue source that will continually fund the Kids First Research Initiative at NIH. The monies come from existing penalties against pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, cosmetic and natural supplement industries that violate the Foreign Corrupt Policy Act.
Take action by supporting The Gabriella Miller Kids First 2.0 bill by clicking here.