A Greater Cincinnati man is taking his message about cancer research and support to Washington.
Keith Desserich is the founder of The Cure Starts Now. It was started in honor of his young daughter Elena, who died in August 2007 from DIPG.
Desserich went to Capitol Hill this week urging lawmakers to support a proposed bill called the Promising Pathway Act.
He said the bill could help save lives by fast-tracking the way the FDA approves treatment for critically ill patients.
“We funded over $33 million in research and support. But there’s a problem with it. And the problem is that we have some great innovation some things that are showing that we’re starting to cure cancer, but we can’t get them actually to bedside, and we found out that the obstruction was the FDA. The obstruction was our regulatory system and it just didn’t provide for any real pathway to be able to get anything that is rare and terminal to the bedside,” Desserich said.
This week, he and his daughter Grace delivered dozen of framed art to lawmakers. The prints were made by children in tribute to Elena’s painting, “I Love You,” which she made when she was in her cancer battle in 2006.
The Promising Pathway Act was first introduced by US Senator Mike Braun of Indiana.
Next week, the measure will be re-introduced, with changes made by The Cure Starts Now. It’s called Promising Pathway 2.0. “We have 300- 400 children that are dying every single year from this,” Desserich said.
