HOUSTON – No parent should ever have to hear the words, “Your child has cancer.” Yet, for thousands of families each year, that devastating reality sets in, followed by an uphill battle for treatment and hope.
My family lived through that journey with my son Ethan, and I know firsthand how critical access to innovative treatments is for these kids. That’s why the Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025, recently reintroduced by Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, is so important. It brings renewed hope to families like mine who have fought—and continue to fight—the battle against pediatric cancer.
This bill isn’t just another piece of legislation; it’s a lifeline for children fighting cancer. It includes four critical pediatric cancer bills that were unfortunately cut from Congress' December funding bill:
• The Give Kids a Chance Act – Reinstates the rare pediatric priority review voucher program, also known as the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act, which expired in December 2024 after leading to 65 new drugs for children.
• The Creating Hope Reauthorization Act – Expands research into pediatric-specific drug combinations, giving children access to the same advanced treatments available to adults.
• The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act – Strengthens enforcement to ensure pediatric study plans are completed, preventing delays in life-saving postmarket research.
• The RARE Act – Ensures the Orphan Drug Act benefits extend only to the specific FDA-approved indication, making sure drug companies focus on targeted treatments for children.
For too long, pediatric cancer research has been underfunded and overlooked. Kids are often treated with outdated, toxic therapies that weren’t designed for their growing bodies. Unlike adults, who benefit from advanced combination treatments, children with cancer are still receiving single-drug therapies—despite evidence that combination approaches work better. This bill seeks to change that.
Representative McCaul put it simply: “No child should have to battle cancer, especially without access to the most advanced treatments available.” I couldn’t agree more. When Ethan was fighting his battle, I often wondered why we weren’t seeing the same level of medical progress for childhood cancers as we were for adult cancers. This bill helps close that gap and gives pediatric patients the priority they deserve.
Why this bill matters
The Give Kids a Chance Act builds upon proven programs that have already led to groundbreaking treatments for pediatric rare diseases. The FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) has played a huge role in incentivizing the development of 65 new pediatric drugs. But with the program’s expiration, drug companies are losing the motivation to invest in childhood cancer treatments.
This bill restores those incentives, encouraging pharmaceutical companies to continue their research and bring more effective therapies to market.
The legislation also ensures that orphan drug exclusivity applies only to a drug’s specific FDA-approved indication. This change prevents drug companies from claiming broad exclusivity while overlooking critical pediatric uses—making it more likely that they will develop targeted treatments for children.
Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., asked the question that so many of us in the childhood cancer community have been asking for years: “Why don’t kids with cancer get the same benefits as adults with cancer?”
It’s a reality that families like mine have struggled with for too long. Our children deserve better. They deserve cutting-edge research, innovative treatments, and, above all, a fighting chance.
How you can help
As a parent who has walked this painful road, I urge you to support the Give Kids a Chance Act. We need Congress to act now to ensure that families facing a pediatric cancer diagnosis have access to better treatments and more hope. Through Ethan’s Ohana, the nonprofit that was founded to honor my son, we remain dedicated to advocating for better policies, increased funding, and research that will change the future of childhood cancer.
No child should have to fight this battle without the best possible treatments available. This bill is a step in the right direction. Let’s make it law.
Join us in the fight. Take action now by completing a simple two-minute form Let’s work together to give every child the chance they deserve. Together, we can make a difference.
