June 8, 1951

Children's Cancer Research Foundation Incorporated

Region:
Greater Boston

On this day in 1951 the Children's Cancer Research Foundation was incorporated. Founded by pioneering Boston physician Sidney Farber, it was the first cancer center in the country designed specifically for children. In the days when a diagnosis of childhood leukemia carried little hope for survival, the center combined treatment that extended children's lives and research that might someday lead to a cure. The foundation adopted the name "Jimmy Fund," and with the help of countless people from all walks of life — baseball stars and police chiefs, Little League players and moviegoers — the fund has raised millions of dollars to provide care for children battling cancer. Now called the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, it is one of the foremost cancer centers in the world.

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