Lily Hensiek, diagnosed with pre B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia 10 years ago at age 7, has helped raise $1 million, through community fundraisers and individual donors, to create two funds to support pediatric cancer research and training at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The funds are the Lily’s Garden Endowed Lecture in Childhood Cancer and the Lily’s Garden Research Fund.

Debra Friedman, MD, director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been awarded a $100,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Award. The grant was celebrated in a “handprint ceremony” with Hyundai representatives on June 12.

The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Neurofibromatosis (NF) Clinic has joined the Children’s Tumor Foundation NF Clinic Network.

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne, Predators executive leaders, executives from Tri Star Energy (Twice Daily) and team mascot Gnash recently presented the proceeds of the team’s 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The Friends of Children’s Hospital, an organization of volunteers who support Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, has made its largest single gift — $1 million over three years — to be split between two Children’s Hospital programs: the Program for Children with Medically Complex Needs and Pediatric Cancer.

An inhibitor of cell metabolism may be a good therapeutic target for neuroblastoma, which accounts for about 15 percent of pediatric cancer-related deaths.