HOUSTON – By Brian Perry | Ethan’s Dad | Co-Founder, Ethan’s Ohana | KPRC TV Employee
There’s a moment you never forget—when a doctor sits you down and says, your child has cancer. For me, that moment came in the summer of 2020, when our son Ethan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. He was 12.
What followed was eight months of intense treatment, long hospital stays, and moments of both hope and heartbreak. We started care at a respected facility, but after Ethan relapsed, we were transferred to MD Anderson. That’s where we met an incredible team of specialists—people who treated Ethan like their own. They gave it everything they had. But even with world-class care, we lost Ethan in March of 2021.
Since then, I’ve asked myself: What would it take to really change how we treat childhood cancer? What would it take to give kids like Ethan a better shot?
This week, we got a pretty incredible answer.
Texas Children’s Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center announced they’re joining forces to create the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, thanks to a $150 million gift from the Kinder Foundation. When it opens in 2026, it will be the largest and most comprehensive cancer center in the country focused only on children.
As a cancer dad, I can tell you—this is the kind of bold move that gives families like mine real hope.
Why this matters
Pediatric cancer is not just “little adult cancer.” It’s different in every way. But for years, kids have had to make do with treatments that weren’t built for them. Access to clinical trials has been limited. Research funding? Even more limited. Families are often left with impossible choices and not enough options.
SOMETHING COOL: Swing by Chick-fil-A for Free Astros Swag!
That’s why this collaboration matters so much.
Texas Children’s is the largest pediatric hospital in the country. MD Anderson is the nation’s top cancer center. Together, they’re building something new—something focused entirely on kids. A dedicated facility with inpatient beds, outpatient care, and cutting-edge research labs. A place where science meets compassion. A place built for children and their families.
And it’s not just a Houston thing. With more kids diagnosed in Texas than almost any other state, this center will serve families from all over the country—and hopefully, change how we treat childhood cancer everywhere.
What this means to me
After Ethan passed away, we created Ethan’s Ohana, a nonprofit to honor his memory and help other kids fighting cancer. One of our favorite projects is donating Rubik’s Cubes to pediatric hospitals—because Ethan loved them. He could solve one in seconds, and during treatment, those little cubes gave him something fun to focus on. We’ve donated more than 1,500 of them since, including many to MD Anderson and Texas Children’s Hospital.
When the new Kinder Children’s Cancer Center opens, we’ll be there too—still showing up, still supporting patients and families, still sharing Ethan’s light.
Looking ahead
To the Kinder Foundation: thank you. You’re not just helping build a hospital—you’re helping build hope.
To the teams at Texas Children’s and MD Anderson: thank you for dreaming big and doing something that could change everything.
And to the parents out there, sitting beside a hospital bed right now—I see you. This center is being built for you. For your child. And for the chance that someday, no parent will have to walk the road we did.
Every kid with cancer deserves more than a fighting chance. They deserve a cure. They deserve a future.
And thanks to this bold step forward—maybe now, they’ll get one.
