COLUMBUS, Ohio — Callahan Murphy Hare hasn’t had a day in his life when cancer wasn’t part of it. And he’s only 2 years old.
“He really has beaten the odds,” says mom Kate Hare whom we first spoke with in 2021 when Callahan was diagnosed with infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) within hours of his birth.
The diagnosis is typically grim for babies surviving this diagnosis, but Callahan’s family and his team of doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have watched the baby become the face of a bigger mission.
“The numbers for childhood cancer are actually on the rise,” Hare said to Wake Up CBUS anchor Angela An. “Whereas it used to be one in 285 children will get cancer, it’s now one in 260,”
In their research to find ways to save their son, Kate and her husband Matt dove into research surrounding pediatric cancer. They were shocked to learn that only 4% of cancer research nationwide is earmarked for children.
While recent studies show that the number is going up slightly, the Hares want people to know the immense toll cancer drugs have on children.
“We raise money in all of our events to fund newer, kinder treatments for kids with cancer,” Kate added.
The Callahan Murphy Hare Foundation is how the Hares plan to fuel their mission to help other children they have met through their child’s journey. The 2nd annual Kids in Capes 5k will take place at Thompson Park in Upper Arlington to help with therapy research at several children’s hospitals across the country.
“The whole idea behind Kids in Capes is that we are honoring that indomitable spirit that every single child we have met through our journey has, while they are fighting cancer,” says Hare.
A photo on the CMH Facebook page captures the reason why the Hares now say their mission goes beyond their son. “If you ever see a child fight cancer, it will change your life forever.”
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