Parents who lost children to pediatric cancers and lawmakers urged the Joint Committee on Public Health to support a proposal that would create a state trust fund to finance pediatric‑cancer research and treatment. Senator O'Connor, sponsor of Senate Bill 1602 and a co‑sponsor of the companion House measure, said the fund would be appropriated annually through the budget process to support research into cures and care for childhood cancers. "Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children in the United States," she told the committee.Meryl Summers described the death of her 8‑year‑old daughter Adelia from diffuse midline glioma and said "there is yet to be one FDA‑approved drug to target this cancer." Summers and other families said federal research dollars and pharmaceutical incentives have largely focused on adult cancers, leaving pediatric regimens unchanged for decades and survivors facing late effects and chronic conditions.Sponsors and witnesses asked the committee to report the bill favorably so the Commonwealth can provide a dedicated, recurring source of state funding for pediatric oncology research and clinical trials. Several families said they had raised private funds and supported clinical trials, but argued state participation would broaden research and accelerate pediatric‑specific drug development.