Don’t miss Hugs For Brady on NBC’s TODAY Show, March 10th at (approximately) 9:40am! The segment will showcase how having access to the Brady Buggy can make a child with cancer’s hospital experience immeasurably better.
“When I was in treatment, I was already too big to enjoy riding in a Brady buggy. But I saw how much enjoyment all of the younger kids got from riding in them. When my grandmother wanted to donate a Brady buggy, I wanted it to go to my oncologist, Dr. Weiss for his patients. He had moved to Maine Medical Center. So last year we made the trip to visit him and deliver the Brady buggy in person.”
–Edward Migliore
Click here to read more about Edward’s incredible battle with a rare form of bone cancer, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma.
Thank you, Edward for being an inspiration to us all!
“Isabella Ward, aka Bella, was diagnosed at age 3 with APML Leukemia. She is currently 4 years old and in remission! The Brady Buggy helped Bella a great deal when she was first admitted and in the PICU. She couldn’t walk because of how severe the leukemia was, so we put her in the buggy and she was able to look out the window and see the snow. It helped her get around with the big IV pole attached to her tiny body. The Brady Buggy was such a blessing during a difficult time.” -Lisa Ward
Thank you Bella, you are truly brave!
In 2010, Sherrie and Michael Wells watched their 23 month old son die of non-differentiated acute leukemia, a disease Brady bravely battled for ten months.
Since then, Sherrie and Michael started the Hugs for Brady Foundation, focusing on funding research programs designed to end pediatric cancer for good. To date over $500,000 has been donated to fund vital research programs.
Despite the fact that childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under age 15 in the United States, not a single new pediatric cancer drug had been introduced in the last five years, and less than 5% of federal funding for cancer research is dedicated to pediatric cancer — a number that is only getting smaller.
This year, the Hugs for Brady Foundation will continue to fund research programs designed to find a cure. Some of the best medical professionals in the world have joined the Hugs for Brady Foundation’s Medical Advisory Board to ensure that all donations are spent on the most beneficial initiatives, such as, funding New Jersey’s first pediatric hematology/oncology Young Investigator Program at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The program brings together some of the best young researchers to study childhood cancer. Hugs for Brady has also funded the region’s first sedation-free MRI project at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.
The Hug for Brady Foundation’s second goal is to place a Brady Buggy Wagon in every cancer wing, in every children’s hospital, in the United States.
During Brady’s countless visits to hospitals and specialists, Sherrie and Michael realized that the children in pediatric hospitals often traveled from one end of the hospital to the next dragging a heavy and scary chemotherapy pumping unit. It was very RARE for Brady not to be hooked up to his IV, even if he was not getting a transfusion or chemo. It is also difficult for children to be confined to a bed or sit still for long, grueling chemotherapy sessions.
Designed by the Hugs for Brady team, the Brady Buggy’s are used in pediatric care settings to provide children with a safe, familiar means of transportation within a hospital. After Brady passed and the Hugs for Brady Foundation was formed, Michael and Sherrie Wells developed the Brady Buggy. “It’s important because transportation equals freedom and happiness, especially when it is SAFE!” says Sherrie Wells. “The wagon we had used with Brady was a “traditional” wagon and we used surgical tape to connect the IV pole to the back axle of the wagon. IT WAS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS but we felt it was our only option, we could not keep him “captive” in a hospital crib for 10 months, that would have been insanity for all of us! The idea for the wagon was Michael’s. I found the wagon maker. And we worked together on themes, designs, logistics, blue prints and sketches to insure quality, safety, and to make sure that any new parent could EASILY hook up the IV pole in a matter of seconds!”
The Brady Buggy’s have a trailer hitch to tow the children’s IV poles—allowing kids to be mobile—even during chemotherapy treatments. The children can sit in the Brady Buggy and bring their favorite stuffed animal or a snack along for the ride.
The Hugs for Brady Foundation is so determined to fund a cure that it relies on over 500 volunteers to do everything from fundraising, graphic design, website maintenance, and a host of other jobs associated with running a non-profit. The only paid position is the recent addition of a part-time administrative assistant. This ensures that over 96% of the money collected, goes straight to the cause!
You can make a difference in the lives of the children and families battling pediatric cancer by making a donation, becoming an event sponsor or volunteering.
Click here to see sponsorship opportunities!
Click here to sign up to volunteer now!
The Hugs for Brady Foundation was established to help children battling cancer and assist in research to ultimately find a cure for pediatric cancer. We are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. All donations are 100% tax deductible. The Hugs for Brady Foundation has over 500 volunteers and only one part-time administrative assistant. 96% of every dollar raised by the Hugs for Brady Foundation goes directly towards finding a cure and helping children and families.
