John, there's only one day left to make the most of a generous donor's $100,000 match! Until midnight tomorrow, your gift to the Children's Fund will be TRIPLED. Help us reach $100,000 as health care is facing increasing financial pressures.>>

Your triple-matched gift will help families who come to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to find hope and healing—families like Ryder’s.

Ryder is a vibrant 5-year-old, captivating anyone she meets with her engaging conversations. She's a fashionista, proudly assembling her stylish outfits all by herself. She loves her baby brother and takes her role as "best big sister" very seriously.

However, in 2023, an at-home vision test revealed that she was unable to see out of her right eye. Her pediatrician suggested visiting urgent care, where she was ultimately sent to the emergency room for an MRI. “That was the moment my stomach sank,” her dad, Ben, reflects. The MRI revealed a mass on Ryder's brain.

They came to CHLA to see Mark D. Krieger, MD, the hospital’s Surgeon-in-Chief and Surgical Director of CHLA's Brain Tumor Center—one of the largest and highest-performing pediatric brain tumor centers in the country. After a specialized open brain biopsy, Ryder’s care team diagnosed her with a low-grade glioma located in her optic pathway.

“That meeting with Dr. Krieger was the first time we felt like we were able to take a breath that wasn’t full panic. CHLA just felt more like a home for us.” —Ben, Ryder’s dad

After chemotherapy failed to shrink Ryder's tumor, the CHLA team started her on a revolutionary new treatment that's advancing through clinical trials at CHLA: tovorafenib, an oral medication taken just once a week from home.

Within 6 months of starting this groundbreaking treatment, MRI results showed that Ryder’s tumor shrank by 87%. Thanks to the expert and unwavering care she received at CHLA, she is one of a rare group of children living with a pediatric brain tumor. While she still has some vision loss, she maintains 20/20 vision in one eye, has minimal side effects from her ongoing treatment, and is ready to start kindergarten!

At CHLA, Ryder and her family found hope, healing, and personalized, leading-edge treatment. But the future of funding for pediatric research and health care is uncertain. As a safety-net hospital, CHLA provides care for the community’s most vulnerable and critically ill children. More families than ever are relying on the hospital in their time of need.

Will you make a matched gift before tomorrow’s midnight deadline? Your $10 gift = $30 through 9/30—don’t miss this opportunity to make your generosity go even further!

We are so close to our goal, John, and I hope I can count on your support ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.

With deep gratitude,

Alexandra Carter, MBA, CFRE Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Children's Hospital Los Angeles