Emmie Joy Brooks was a spunky and beloved child with a strong faith. She battled a rare cancer called Wilms Tumor for most of her life and died in 2022 at the age of just 13. During her treatment at Riley Hospital for Children, Emmie’s parents gave permission for samples of her tumor to be taken during other medically necessary procedures and used for IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center research. Today, a cell line created from Emmie’s tumor is used by researchers at IU and by their collaborators nationwide to try to better understand the type of metastatic disease Emmie developed.
In 2024, Emmie's family generously created the Emmie Joy Brooks Pediatric Cancer Research Fund in memory of their niece. The fund will support various pediatric cancer research projects conducted by IU researchers.
