Liam and Howard enjoy sunshine and the outdoors at Ronald McDonald House in Sacramento, CA
Howard Salmon comes to us from the Ronald McDonald House near the UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, CA, where his son Liam is receiving some emergency care after having had some difficulty breathing. His wife Mary looks after him as the conversation progresses. Liam was diagnosed in January 2020 with DIPG, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a deadly and prevalent form of childhood brain cancer.
Liam is Howard and Mary’s only child, a miracle baby, adopted at a premature birth when he struggled to stay alive and fought to stay here. The diagnosis of DIPG is ironic and tragic, to say the very least, as it is known in oncology circles as a merciless killer with exceedingly few exceptions.
Howard generously shares precious time with us, as Liam may not have much longer to live. He describes the reality he faces, and discusses in detail the importance of greater awareness for DIPG, pediatric brain cancer, and the general lack of funding for childhood cancer research. He is a proponent of the National DIPG Awareness Resolution, urging Congress to pass it before the end of 2020. “We can’t get help fast enough to save our kids.”
(Click here or the picture for podcast)
To see Howard’s video asking Congress to support H. Res. 114, the DIPG Awareness Resolution, click here.
