Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Inc.

The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation's primary goal is to provide all patients seen at the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic in McAllen, Texas, and soon in Brownsville, Texas, with the high-quality care and treatment they need for a chance to survive; without the need to leave home and regardless of their family's financial capacity to pay. In addition, the Foundation is committed to providing free use of the 28,000 square foot state-of-the-art medical facility; pay all expenses related to building maintenance, utilities and housekeeping; maintain a dedicated Board of Directors, strong management and leadership; and, strive to improve its financial position so that it can make significant monetary contributions to the Vannie Cook Clinic for operations, patient programs and services.

To achieve these goals with effective results, the Foundation has aligned with the some of the best healthcare institutions in the country - Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, both in Houston, Texas. Baylor is one of the leading private medical schools in the southern United States and Texas Children's Cancer Center is ranked #2 in the United States for pediatric cancer care and treatment and research. It's medical director, Dr. Susan Blaney, also oversees patient services and operations at the Vannie Cook Clinic, guaranteeing care and treatment for local children that is second to none. With financial assistance from the Foundation, the Board and other donors and supporters, the Vannie Cook Clinic has been able to grow and remain in operation for over 20 years. The full-time, board-certified pediatric oncologists/hematologists have seen over 11,500 young patients and to date not one child has ever been turned away or denied care. To remain true to the goals, meet the objectives and continue to achieve positive outcomes, the Foundation maintains strong relationships in the non-profit, medical, civic and corporate sectors of the community and focuses on fundraising to secure support through major gifts, donations, grants and planned gifts remains a top priority.

The Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation has a long, fifty- year history in south Texas. Its mission has always been to provide the best care available for the treatment of cancer and serious blood disorders, initially for adults but since 2000 for children and youth. Its mark on the community has had an important and significant impact, improving healthcare overall and attracting skilled and compassionate physicians, nurses, technicians and leadership. One of its greatest assets throughout the years has been its dedicated Board of Directors, comprised of prominent community leaders with the connections and resources to oversee the Foundation's finances, partnerships, policies and procedures and to insure excellence in its operations in order to advance its mission. To strengthen the work on the Foundation, in 2019 it engaged the services of a non-profit consulting firm to assist with strategic planning, an operations plan and fundraising efforts for the purpose of planning for the future, long-term growth and financial sustainability.

In 2001, the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Cancer Foundation, Inc. helped open the first, and still only, facility in the Rio Grande Valley dedicated to caring for local children who have cancer or serious blood diseases. Prior to the opening of the Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children's Cancer and Hematology Clinic, children battling these life-threatening diseases were treated in centers hundreds of miles away, just for a chance to survive. In instances where parents could not leave their families and homes and jobs behind to travel with a sick child, these children were often left untreated and eventually succumbed to their devastating illness. This is no longer the case and now all children are given a chance to receive life-saving treatment for a chance to survive.

The Clinic, with significant support from the Foundation, has become the premier facility in South Texas for the care and treatment of pediatric oncology and hematology. In addition to diagnostic services and leading-edge therapies for pediatric cancer, the Clinic provides other programs vital to positive outcomes for children and their families including a Psychosocial Support Program; a Long Term Survivor Program; In-House Laboratory Services; COG Clinical Trials; Flow-Cytometry and Childhood Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research. In its seventeen years of operation, the Clinic staff has cared for more than 10,000 patients - more than four times the patient demand originally anticipated when the Clinic first opened. The high number of patients seen accounts for more than 93,000 total patient visits. Eighty-five percent of all the Vannie Cook Clinic patients are low-income or indigent and more than ninety percent are of Hispanic heritage. Patients come from all over the Rio Grande Valley, northern Mexico and as far away as Laredo, Texas.

As a result of significant philanthropic support, even during the Covid pandemic, prudent investments and transparent accountability to our donors, the Vannie Cook Cancer Foundation has been able to remain true to its mission and purpose.