Welcome to Leap For A Cure

In The News

Join Leap for a Cure on Facebook!

VIDEO: Learn how the Roberts Family established "Leap for a Cure," a fund dedicated to supporting brain cancer research and education at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
Methodist Hospital Foundation (June 2009)

Family Takes Action to Find a Cure for Brain Cancer
Omaha Action News 3 (March 3, 2009)

Mavericks Shave Heads After Raising $43,000 Dollars
Gateway College Media Network (February 10, 2009)

Methodist Hospital Foundation and Leap For a Cure
Methodist Hospital (January 2009)

Maverick Hockey Committed to Fight Cancer
KETV 7 News (January 2009)

Leaping for a Cure
KPTM Fox42 News (January 8, 2009)

Get to know... Sue Roberts
Omaha World-Herald (December 2008)

Cancer Fundraiser Leaps into Spotlight
Voices Against Brain Cancer (October 2008)

Mission Statement

It is our mission to provide timely and useful information on the website leapforacure.org and to conduct research through Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center in an effort to cure brain cancer.

Why We Leap

Few people ever think the unexpected will actually happen to them, and we were no different. However, in April of 2008, the unexpected became our reality. Our daughter Heather was diagnosed with brain cancer: diffuse astrocytoma [8/2008 = The cancer is currently Stage 3: Anaplastic Astrocytoma]. On April 24, 2008, she had her first of two surgeries to retract her tumor; her second surgery was June 12, 2008. Even though both surgeries were considered successful, the entire tumor could not be retracted. Therefore, she has been placed on what I refer as the “wait-and-see” list. She will be closely monitored for any changes.

In addition to her operable tumor, Heather has been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor as well. This tumor is located in the pons area (brain stem), so surgery or even a biopsy is very questionable.

As a mother, I feel I need to do something other than cry and ask, “Why Heather?” I know that we need to pray for Heather, which is probably the best a human can do, but we also have to pray for medical advancements so that medical teams have the necessary knowledge to perform miracles. Research provides those advancements! When my father died at the age of 43 from brain cancer, the medical field did not have MRIs, CT-scans, chemotherapy, or other important diagnosis or treatment options available. Now, 45 years later, I pray that our daughter will live instead of die because of the advancements. Sometimes I think she is destined to be the living proof of medical research.

Because Heather’s nickname has always been “frog,” leapforacure was organized to help benefit research so that early detection and treatment plans can add years to lives and eventually cure the disease. Too often people live their lives thinking that “it” always happens to “other” people. Our family is proof that the “other” person can easily become you.

All funds collected for leapforacure will be donated toward brain cancer research at Nebraska’s Methodist Hospital, and all donations are tax deductible. We want this disease to give hope, not death, to its many victims.

A very special thank you goes to the following people: Heather’s sisters Michele and Amy for purchasing the domain and for helping organize the website ideas; Cousin Trent for creating the leapforacure website; and all of our friends and family for the continued support, prayers, and gifts to help us fight and win against this disease.

Each donation may be one small step for research, but many donations become one giant LEAP FOR A CURE!

Description

Founded in July 2008 by the family of Heather Roberts, Leapforacure is associated with the Nebraska Methodist Hospital Foundation. The organization was formed to provide research toward finding a cure for brain cancer at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center.