Clare is a bright and bubbly little 8-year-old girl who was diagnosed with an inoperable and fast-growing form of brain cancer known as DIPG at the age of two. She is super sweet with just the right amount of sassy sprinkled in to keep you on your toes. She loves her little sister, Maren, playing with baby dolls and watching Peppa Pig. She is an avid baker; she expertly picks the eggs to use when making cookies and stirs the batter with vigor when making muffins. She absolutely loves dressing up as Disney Princesses and has quickly become an expert in royal fashion. Her favorite princesses include Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella.

During a magical trip to Disney World, Clare had a surprise encounter with the Fairy Godmother, who walked right up to Clare, held her hand, and walked her through the park. The look on Clare’s face was priceless. She owned that park during that one-minute walk. Clare loved being so close to the Fairy Godmother and having everyone stare at her. She adored being the center of attention, even if only for that short walk.

The first symptoms her parents noticed were, Clare started walking on her toes and had a slight limp, along with occasional choking while drinking liquids and drooling. Shortly before her diagnosis, she began slurring her words and had become very hard to understand. Most of her symptoms were written off as things that toddlers do at that age.

Diagnosis day and the days following remain the hardest so far in this journey for Clare and her family. It took a solid month for her parents to comprehend what her diagnosis truly meant. They lived in a fog for weeks. Clare was so little, so every treatment felt extreme. From her port surgery to radiation treatments to EKGs and MRIs, everything was big and scary to a 2-year-old. Despite everything, Clare has proven to be so brave and resilient. Her beautiful smile is always on display.

Once Clare completed her 30 radiation treatments, her family was thrust into another world of unknowns. Clare had accomplished so much and was doing better clinically but just as wonderful as that was, it was also unbearably painful for her family because they simply didn’t know what to do next. There are very few viable treatment options for a DIPG diagnosis, and choosing the next step can be extremely difficult. Clare was quickly enrolled in a clinical trial funded by The Cure Starts Now.

Clare is currently 5 years post-diagnosis and is showing the world just how strong she is. She has endured more than anyone should have to experience, much less a child. She hates band-aids, hospitals, and almost everything her doctors have done to her since her diagnosis but Clare is a fighter, and she continues smiling through it.

There were only two clinical trials Clare was eligible for at the time of her diagnosis. And two trials is more than what’s offered to many families. Because of funding for pediatric brain cancer research, there are treatment options available now that families didn’t have just five years ago. Clare is doing as well as she is because of the research and opportunities children have today.

"Funding for research provides clinical trials, which brings hope for our children and their families. We have hope because of generous donations from people who believe that a DIPG diagnosis should not be a death sentence. A cure is just over the horizon, and with an increase in funding, we will get there." - The Ronnebaum Family

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.