Fanconi Cancer Foundation

When your loved one is afflicted with a life threatening disease, you run toward better treatments, hoping for a cure. That is exactly what Team FARF is doing, running in the 2021 Pell Bridge Run to raise money for research to help our family members/friends here in Rhode Island live longer, fulfilling lives. Fanconi anemia is a rare disease presenting with bone marrow failure, most often in childhood, and continuing to manifest with cancer, especially head and neck cancers, in early adulthood. Research in Fanconi anemia has led to improved outcomes for the general population in both bone marrow transplants and cancer treatments. If you can, please support our efforts to continue this life saving research until a cure is found. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Members of Team FARF

The mission of Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Inc.: To find effective treatments and a cure for Fanconi anemia, and to provide education and support services to affected families worldwide. For more information go to www.fanconi.org

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare, inherited, DNA repair disease that often leads to bone marrow failure, leukemia, physical abnormalities and exceptionally high rates of cancers.

Wesley was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia at the age of one.  He was born without ear canals, hypoplastic thumbs, one kidney and is in mild/moderate bone marrow failure.  Currently he is doing well, his only treatments are yearly bone marrow biopsies to watch for signs of leukemia and chromosomal changes and blood draws to monitor his cell counts.  Patients with FA typically develop aplastic anemia (a drop in all three blood cell lines) and will eventually need a bone marrow transplant which is very risky and toxic for an FA patient because of their fragile chromosomes.  Even with a successful transplant, patients are at extremely high risks for cancers, such as head and neck cancer and they develop at a much earlier age than the general public. The current median lifespan for an FA patient is 33 years old.

Our family has been involved with the FA community for 12 years and know many children who have left this world before their time.  Please come help us find a cure. It's close and because of the high instances of cancer in FA patients, researchers want to study why.  Fanconi Anemia research helps the general population understand cancer.   Today 19 Fanconi genes have been discovered.  Two of them are the BRCA genes.  

So ladies!!!  Come dance the night away for FA and know your help is making a difference.  Can't make it?  Your donation is truly appreciated!  Thank you so much! Can't go because you're a dude?  Send the ladies in your life and have a quiet night relaxing on the couch.  Or just donate and know you have our eternal gratitude ;)  

Ladies, attending the dance?  Donate at least $12 per adult and $5 per child, and let us know in the comments how many are attending.  We'll have your name at the door.  Limited space is available.

Tickets may be purchased at the door with cash only.  $15 per adult and $5 per child.

All proceeds from the evening are tax deductible and will go to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund (tax id 93-0995453)

This May, I will be running a 25K at the Fifth Third Riverbank Run to raise awareness about a disease that has deeply affected my family and countless others across the world.  I'm running this race to celebrate Tara and raise funds for a cure to the disease that she fights everyday. As a novice runner, training has proved difficult but running is nothing compared to living with Fanconi.

Tara's Fanconi story is below:

Tara has Fanconi Anemia. She's 13. And she's my sister. She was diagnosed at age seven and six months later underwent a bone marrow transplant at the University of Minnesota. My other sister, Brenna, was Tara's marrow donor. The transplant was just the beginning of Tara's fight against Fanconi as she continues to struggle with her health.

Tara continues to work hard in school and my mom found doctors willing to help Tara. Since her disease and symptoms are so rare, it has been difficult to find the appropriate care providers and effective treatments. She is now under the care of experts at the Cincinatti Children's Hospital. While progress is still slow and uncertainty remains, Tara continues to be positive and persevere. I always say that she's the most incredible person I've ever met. 

The positivity and kindess of friends and family has gotten us through the darkest days and we are eternally grateful for your love and friendship.

Thank you again for your kindness, thoughts and prayers. A 25K is approximately 15 miles. If you could consider donating $1 dollar for every mile I will run during this race, that would be wonderful!  Any support you can offer now is much appreciated. Cheers to a healthy Tara and bright futures!

Happy 10th birthday Eli! Can you guys believe it? He's 10 this year!

In honor of Eli’s 10th birthday, we are asking our friends and neighbors to give a tax deductible donation to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund .

FARF is a small but mighty organization that helps fund FA research to help kids like Eli live longer lives. The median lifespan for individuals with FA is just 33 years old, due to it being a cancer prone disease. But advances are being made every day through studies funded by FARF. And the research on FA benefits all of us, since the disease is so closely linked to cancer.

Your donation is tax deductible and will go directly to the FARF organization. There is a 4.25% fee assessed, so please consider adding that in on top of your donation so FARF gets as much money as possible. 

Family fundraising like this accounts for 97% of FARF's annual budget. Your donation is crucial, and every single dollar counts. 

If you prefer you can donate directly on the FARF website and avoid the 4.25% fee. Just please be sure to mention Eli Lana when donating. 

Thank you friends, family, neighbors and kind people. Your gift means so much to us.