Rubi joined Hyundai Hope on Wheels to honor her doctor and celebrate the research grant that will help kids facing childhood cancer
Rubi was 5 years old when she was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. During her treatment at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Rubi showed remarkable courage as she underwent repeated infusions and lifesaving procedures while coping with the severe side effects of chemotherapy.
Through it all, Rubi found ways to be more than just a patient and live out her dream of becoming a police officer.
“She would ride through the halls on her tricycle, rigged up with police lights and sirens. She would stop in front of the nurses’ station and hand out tickets,” recalls her mom, Sally. “Rubi’s health care team allowed Officer Rubi to still take her job very seriously even while battling cancer in the hospital.”
Celebrating Recovery
Now 8 and cancer-free, Rubi celebrated her recovery while honoring children and families facing cancer this September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
At the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony and Check Presentation at Packard Children’s Hospital, Rubi added her colorful handprint on a Hyundai vehicle, which serves as a symbol of hope and perseverance for other kids and families facing cancer.
Rubi’s family, members of her care team, and pediatric cancer researchers attended the event, including Rubi’s pediatric oncologist, Adrienne Long, MD, PhD.
Advancing Dr. Long’s Research
At the ceremony, Hyundai Hope on Wheels awarded Dr. Long a $300,000 Young Investigator Grant to help advance her research into how immunotherapies affect the developing immune systems of children with cancer.
Dr. Long’s current research focuses on blinatumomab, an immunotherapy used to treat certain children with newly diagnosed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Although blinatumomab has been shown to improve outcomes for these patients, its use has also been associated with higher rates of serious infections. By understanding how this treatment impacts normal immunity, Dr. Long hopes to identify principles that can guide the safer use of immunotherapies across childhood cancers.
“Immunotherapies have really transformed how we think about treating pediatric blood cancers,” said Dr. Long. “Most children with leukemia or lymphoma will be receiving some form of immunotherapy in the future. Now is the time to understand how these critically important therapies impact a child’s native immune system, so we can minimize the risk of long-term side effects.”
Thank You, Hyundai Hope on Wheels!
This marks the third time Dr. Long has been recognized by Hyundai Hope on Wheels with a Young Investigator Grant.
With this latest award, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has provided nearly $6.1 million to Packard Children’s Hospital to advance pediatric cancer research.
We’re grateful for Hyundai Hope on Wheels for their unwavering generosity.
If you would like to make a difference for patients like Rubi and their families, there’s still time. Give now to support the extraordinary care and research underway at Packard Children’s Hospital.
Make a Gift
You can support children and families at our hospital during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
