Children’s Mercy Research Institute Announces Sponsorship from Johnson & Johnson and Noah’s Bandage Project to Increase Diversity in Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials at Children’s Mercy Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) announced a combined sponsorship from Johnson & Johnson* and Noah’s Bandage Project of nearly $640,000 to increase education and awareness of racial disparities in pediatric clinical trials.  

“Diversity in pediatric research means ensuring all children and families regardless of race, ethnicity, language, economic status, education level, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation have an opportunity to participate in research,” Andrea Bradley Ewing, Director of Community Engaged Research at Children’s Mercy, said. “This funding will allow us to start to eliminate barriers to trial recruitment and participation, ensuring effective interventions and treatments that benefit all children.”

This three-year project will start with the development of a Pediatric Cancer Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Research Toolkit and pilot study with aim to:

• Broaden the scope of pediatric cancer research to include a focus on coping, social determinants of health, cancer survivorship, and quality of life to enhance the opportunities for more children and families with diverse backgrounds to participate in research regardless of cancer diagnosis, or available treatment clinical trials.
• Create new protocols to ensure all families are invited to participate in research.
• Provide ongoing DEI training for cancer researchers and staff, including information on pediatric cancer disparities, implicit bias, microaggressions, and culturally sensitive communication and recruitment strategies.
• Establish partnerships with existing community engaged research and advocacy groups, including the CMRI Community Advisory Board to provide ongoing support for research teams to engage communities in their research processes (e.g., intervention design, recruitment approaches, study dissemination).

“We are so excited to be a part of this initiative and felt this was the perfect way to honor Noah’s legacy of spreading kindness to all children,” Deb Wilson, Noah’s mother and Noah’s Bandage Project Co-Founder said. “Noah was well beyond his time at age six and began collecting fun bandages for his new friends on the cancer floor because he felt they were a way to express their unique identity and self-expression though colorful badges of honor.” 

The project aligns with Johnson & Johnson’s “Our Race to Health Equity” (ORTHE) initiative to address underrepresentation in healthcare.

About Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Founded in 1897, Children’s Mercy is a leading independent children’s health organization dedicated to holistic care, translational research, educating caregivers and breakthrough innovation to create a world of well-being for all children. With not-for-profit hospitals in Missouri and Kansas, and numerous specialty clinics in both states, Children’s Mercy provides the highest level of care for children from birth through the age of 21. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly ranked Children’s Mercy as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals.” For the fifth consecutive time in a row, Children’s Mercy has achieved Magnet nursing designation, awarded to only about 8% of all hospitals nationally, for excellence in quality care. More than 850 pediatric subspecialists, researchers and faculty across more than 40 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research and education of the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. Thanks to generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s Mercy provides hope, comfort and the prospect of brighter tomorrows to every child who passes through its doors. Visit Children’s Mercy and the Children’s Mercy Research Institute to learn more, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest news and videos. 

About Noah’s Bandage Project
Noah’s Bandage Project was founded by Noah Wilson who was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma at Children’s Mercy when he was six years old. Noah began collecting cool and fun bandages for his new friends on the cancer floor because he recognized each child’s unique identity and need for self-expression. Noah passed away in 2015, but not before starting his organization which continues its mission today to end childhood cancer through awareness, funding, and the gift of hope. To date, Noah’s Bandage Project has collected and donated over seven million bandages and has provided grants totaling more than $1.8M for pediatric cancer research.

* The legal entity to the agreement is Janssen Research & Development, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company.

SOURCE Children’s Mercy Kansas City