The Strong and Brave Foundation is inspired by two young children with cancer. One of them being the Slaiding family’s four-year-old son, Cole Alexander Slaiding, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer (Sarcoma) on December 14, 2022, losing his life just 6 short weeks later January 30, 2023. The other child is the Dolomite Family’s 8-year-old daughter, Briana Harper Dolomite, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer (Diffuse Midline Glioma) on July 29th, 2023. No one ever expects this news to befall their family, and when it does the world comes crashing down violently around you. Only 4% of federal funding goes to researching childhood cancers; meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute estimated that 9,910 new cases of cancer would be diagnosed in 2023 in the United States. Across the globe, over 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, with approximately 17,000 of them being within the United States. It is imperative these cruel statistics are shared widely and loudly, so that awareness, community support, and funding will increase. At the Strong and Brave our mission is to help raise awareness and support families like the Slaiding and the Dolomite’s with as many resources as possible.