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  1. United States
  2. N.Y.
  3. Letter

An Open Letter

To: Sen. Gillibrand, Pres. Trump, Rep. Tonko, Sen. Schumer

From: A verified voter in Latham, NY

March 8

**Strategic Proposal to Accelerate Pediatric Cancer Eradication** The recognition of Devarjaye "D.J." Daniel, a 13-year-old battling terminal brain cancer, during President Trump’s congressional address offers a historic opportunity to unite bipartisan support for defeating childhood cancers. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—which increased survival rates from 20% to 80% through focused investment—provides a proven blueprint. This proposal outlines a legacy-defining strategy to harness this momentum, structured to align with leadership priorities: ### 1. **Symbolic Action → Sustained Policy** Elevate D.J.’s story into structural change: - **Appoint pediatric patients** as NIH/NCI advisory liaisons, transforming momentary empathy into policy influence. - **Launch "Cancer Moonshot for Kids"** under Trump/Vance branding, directing 5% of DoD medical research funds ($1.75B/year) to pediatric oncology. ### 2. **Scale St. Jude’s Success Nationally** - **Expand the STAR Act** to $500M/year, mandating insurance coverage for all FDA-approved pediatric therapies funded by a 0.5% cosmetic surgery levy. - **Repurpose $200M COVID funds** to fast-track CAR-T immunotherapy trials via FDA Priority Review. ### 3. **Narcissism-Informed Messaging** - Frame progress as **"Trump-Vance CARE Initiative"**—a legacy surpassing partisan healthcare debates, echoing Kennedy’s moonshot rhetoric. - Position Senator Vance as champion of Appalachian treatment hubs, merging opioid crisis recovery with cancer infrastructure. ### 4. **Immediate Bipartisan Wins** - **Emergency Executive Action**: Create a National Pediatric Cancer Task Force co-chaired by D.J. and St. Jude CEO Dr. James Downing. - **Legislative Quick Start**: Amend the PACT Act to cover military base-linked childhood cancers, leveraging existing Veteran Affairs support. This approach transforms compassion into concrete progress, offering all stakeholders unparalleled legacy opportunities. By adopting St. Jude’s data-driven model while emphasizing branded, media-ready achievements, we can achieve what every American desires: **no parent burying a child to cancer**. The tools exist—this moment demands the will to deploy them.

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