KATY, Texas – In April, we introduced you to Lilli Curry, the first Girl Scout to receive an honorary Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. The San Jacinto Council gave Curry the award because she battled cancer for five years and they weren't sure if she could complete the requirements while going through such rigorous medical treatments.
Curry died Aug. 4. Her classmates at Katy Taylor High School are honoring her Wednesday by wearing gold to raise awareness of childhood cancer.
"She was kind, caring, considerate," said Diane Pakel, Lilli's Girl Scout troop leader. "She always wanted to help everyone."
Lilli's last wish was also her Gold Award service project: to raise awareness of childhood cancer.
She started recording a video sharing information about the disease, with plans to show it at Katy Taylor High School.
Before she could finish, she died from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer.
"She wanted to keep fighting," said John Curry, Lilli's father. "She was looking for the next trial or the next drug that was coming over the horizon. She was not ready to stop, even when they said you're basically out of options. She wanted to keep trying and keep fighting."
Lilli's classmates stepped in to finish the video. They showed it at school and posted it on YouTube with some key facts Lilli wanted everyone to know.
"Only 4 percent of cancer research funding goes to children," said one of Curry's classmates in the video. "Lilli would like to change that; and it's our job to carry it out."
The idea is that more awareness will lead to more funding. In the last 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved three drugs specifically for the treatment of childhood cancer. That leaves cancer patients like Lilli with few new options.
"She was not ready to stop treatment because she knew what that meant," said Lilli's mother, Kay Curry.
Lilli was diagnosed when she was 11 years old. She died shortly after her 16th birthday.
"Hug your kids because, you know, when they're gone, it's very sad," said John Curry.
You can wear gold along with the students to raise awareness for childhood cancer. If you'd like to donate, Lilli's parents say these organizations give all contributions to childhood cancer research.
1. The Lilli Curry Memorial Fund - . With funds from The Lilli Curry Memorial Fund, The Rutledge Foundation (https://rutledgefoundation.org) is sponsoring new research on a Ewing’s Sarcoma treatment that is 93 percent effective in lab mice. The drug attacks the Ewing’s Sarcoma at the point where two genes fuse and then pulls the genes apart.
2. St. Baldrick’s Foundation - . It is the largest non-profit raising funds exclusively to fight childhood cancer.
3. Triumph Over Kid Cancer - The organization funds research, raises awareness and raises spirits to fight pediatric cancers. It was founded by James Ragan and his sister, Mecklin. James had osteosarcoma for seven years but still played golf for Rice University. His story is told in the documentary Until 20.
4. 1 Million 4 Anna - Named after Ewing’s Sarcoma patient Anna Basso, this group raises money for research and for university scholarships for students battling Ewing’s Sarcoma.