Indiana (Lauren Hill)

Lauren was courageous, funny, and charming. She captured the attention of the nation after being diagnosed with DIPG at the age of 18.  Recognizing the extent of the disease and understanding the prognosis, Lauren's heart ached for all the children with this diagnosis who did not have the words to describe what was happening to them.  She wanted to be a voice for those children and became an advocate for childhood brain cancer. 

She decided brain cancer was not going to hold her back from achieving her dreams or raising awareness!  Her dream was to play college basketball and an army of supporters rallied around her to see her dreams come true.  The NCAA allowed Mount St. Joseph University to play their season opener two weeks early, so Lauren could play in a college basketball game.  That game was moved to a larger venue to accommodate over 10,000 of Lauren's supporters. 

Lauren quickly came to face with the reality that there is not enough funding for research in pediatric brain cancer.  She used her notoriety to increase awareness and more importantly, raise money for funding.  During her battle, she was hosted on talk shows like The View and featured on ESPN. Among many awards she received, she was honored with an ESPY in 2015 for Best Moment!  She spread the message to make people aware of this disease and urged people to fund research so the next child could be spared.  Through the ups and downs of her diagnosis, Lauren was determined that DIPG was not going to win!  After she graduated from Mt. Saint Joseph University with her honorary doctorate degree, The Cure Starts Now gave her the title of chief motivational officer. 

She battled for 16 months before kicking DIPG's butt and earning her angel wings.  Today, Lauren's mom, Lisa, directs the Indiana (Lauren Hill) Chapter of The Cure Starts Now and is a DIPG Collaborative Partner with Lauren’s Fight for Cure. She advocates for her daughter's legacy to never be forgotten.  To date, over $2.7 million has been raised in her honor for research.  The Indiana (Lauren Hill) Chapter hosts events like the Lauren Hill Classic, Game of Hope, along with participating in Relay for Research and Giving First each year.  Lisa volunteers on the Once in a Lifetime Gala committee and also holds a seat on the Strategic Advisory Council to oversee chapter operations, make recommendations for grant proposals, and develop new fundraising strategies.  We are honored to partner with Lisa so we can find The Homerun Cure. 

Never Give Up! and Forever 22 will always be associated with Lauren.

The Cure Starts Now (501c3 Federal Non-Profit) is one of the only cancer foundations dedicated to a “homerun” cure for all cancers, starting first with one of the most deadly and difficult cancers: pediatric brain cancer. Many experts believe that the lessons we learn from fighting pediatric cancer may in fact provide us the critical first step in winning the battle against all forms of cancer, both pediatric and adult.