Demanding Action for Kids with Cancer: Advocating on Capitol Hill #ActionDays2025

On February 28th, I was on Capitol Hill alongside dedicated childhood cancer families, survivors, and advocates as part of #ActionDays2025, urging lawmakers to prioritize kids with cancer. One would think funding childhood cancer research and removing barriers to care would be a no-brainer, but here we are—year after year—telling our stories, fighting for change, and asking Congress to act.

Our three critical asks:

·      Prioritize the Childhood Cancer Package – Two bipartisan bills, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act and the Give Kids a Chance Act passed the House unanimously last year but never became law. These bills would eliminate bureaucratic delays for children on Medicaid and advance pediatric cancer research, yet they remain unfinished business.

·      Protect Federal Funding for Childhood Cancer Research – We urged Congress to fully fund two critical programs: the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI). Progress in research stalls without investment, and kids with cancer can’t afford that delay.

·      Protect Children on Medicaid – Children with cancer and their families cannot afford policy changes that restrict access, reduce the quality of services, or cut essential funding. Medicaid is a lifeline for nearly half of children diagnosed with cancer.

Despite childhood cancer being the leading cause of death by disease in children, funding and legislative action remain an afterthought. But there are champions in Congress who continue to fight for our kids, and I want to thank all the representatives and senators who have supported childhood cancer bills.

A special thank you to my Congressman, Representative Jimmy Panetta, for standing with the childhood cancer community and pushing for policies that ensure kids get the care and research they need. 

Thank you to the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) for organizing this critical effort. Advocacy is exhausting, but inaction is not an option. We will keep showing up—until childhood cancer is truly a priority.

#ChildhoodCancer #ActionDays2025 #KidsCantWait #CancerResearch #Advocacy #DIPG #FundingMatters #MithilPrasadFoundation

Article By: Sarva Channarajurs, Co-founder and President, Mithil Prasad Foundation