The Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) Advocacy Group is planning to host a demonstration at the US Capitol to raise awareness for DIPG, a type of brain cancer affecting children, and encourage the House of Representatives to pass the National DIPG Awareness Resolution, which would help raise awareness and support for children with DIPG.

The rally is scheduled to take place on the west lawn of the US Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. and is set to be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for public viewing.

“All we are asking is for the acknowledgement of our representatives in Congress–our most direct representation in the federal government,” said Janet Demeter, founder of Jack’s Angels foundation in Agua Dulce. “Until we can create more impactful legislation to fund research, H. Res. 114, our #Moonshot4Kids, could help speed financial support and scientific collaboration, accelerating effective therapies to save lives.”

The demonstration is set to include pre-recorded video and live testimonials expressing support for children with brain cancer from across the nation and internationally. Attendees of the live event must register beforehand, as the number of participants is scheduled to be capped at 50 people with appropriate distancing and masks.

If it were passed, House Resolution 114 would suggest an increase in federal funding for pediatric cancers and greater consideration for pediatric and high-mortality rate cancers in the research grant process, as there is a “chronic lack of adequate funding into pediatric cancer research for effective treatments,” according to the Jack’s Angels foundation.

According to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, DIPG is a kind of brain tumor that grows from glial cells, a type of cell supporting neurons in the brain. DIPG begins in the brain stem, and can affect breathing, heart rate, sight, movement, hearing, eating and talking.

10 to 20 percent of pediatric brain tumors are DIPG or brainstem gliomas, according to St. Jude’s website. They can affect children of any age and, in rare cases, in adults. DIPG has a low survival rate.

The National DIPG Awareness Resolution was first introduced to the House of Representatives 2016, was reintroduced in 2017, and was introduced once more on Feb. 8 2019 by Jackie Speier, D-California, and David Joyce, R-Ohio, according to a statement from Jack’s Angels.

“We need this awareness resolution and awareness day, May 17, to alert and educate the public about it, our lawmakers, and clinicians,” commented Elizabeth Psar, CEO of the Julia Barbara Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee, on raising awareness for DIPG. “We’re discovering them too late, or at autopsy because we just don’t talk about it, and nobody knows. Awareness can help save lives today.”

For more information about the event and to register, check for updates here on Nov. 4.

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