Those words lit the spark.
In 2014, DEKM Fund Founder, Evelyn Morris, her husband David, and their daughter, Kate, began their fight against an early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A newly identified form of leukemia (discovered by St. Jude in 2009), it had a 30%, 5-year survival rate.
Kate went off treatment in 2016 and celebrated her 10 year remission-versary in February 2024.
Evelyn and David got involved with DIPG in 2023. They came across a Facebook post about a little girl who’d been diagnosed with DIPG.
DIPG is a brain tumor, typically found in children, and 100% fatal. Originating in the brain stem, and located just above the back of the neck, it takes over an area that regulates crucial bodily functions: breathing, heart rate, and nerve flow.
Upon seeing the photo, they exclaimed, “That looks just like Kate’s cousin!” Followed by, “This is not OK! Someone needs to do something.”
That was all it took to ignite Evelyn and David into action. They contacted ChadTough that evening and started learning how they could get involved and provide funding for research.
We contribute in a meaningful way to causes that are overlooked, and underrepresented.
We work with small, persevering, and compassionate organizations in the trenches working on problems that aren’t getting the attention they deserve.
We embody hope in the face of adversity, fostering perseverance and determination in our pursuit of positive change
“We are extremely grateful to the DEKM Fund for their generous contributions to lab for cancer biology,” says Dr. Mancias. “Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to make groundbreaking advances in developing new targets for pancreatic cancer therapies.”