Hyundai Hope on Wheels® awards $100K to continue its fight against childhood cancer

By Eileen Teves

In the United States, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. Worldwide, about 400,000 children and adolescents develop cancer each year, only half of whom are diagnosed.

Since 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels® has been on a quest to end childhood cancer and has become one of the nation’s leading funders of pediatric cancer research.

To help in the fight against childhood cancer, Hyundai Hope on Wheels® presented the Hyundai Impact Grant Award for $100,000 to three UT Health San Antonio recipients: Gail Tomlinson, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric hematology-oncology in the Department of Pediatrics; Shafqat Shah, MD, professor of pediatric hematology-oncology with expertise in neuro-oncology and cancer survivorship; and Debra Kent, DNP, MSN, APRN-PC, RN, associate professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and director of the adult survivorship program at Mays Cancer Center.

The award supports their nutrition education program called Hope in Every Bite. The program aims to improve the lives of patients and their families by highlighting the role of nutrition in prevention, treatment and survivorship. The support of Hyundai Hope on Wheels® helps the team reach their goal of educating and promoting healthy habits and improve the overall outcomes of pediatric cancer survivors.

With the latest grants, UT Health San Antonio has received more than $2.1 million in total grants since 2007 from Hyundai Hope on Wheels®.


Gail Tomlinson, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric hematology-oncology in the Department of Pediatrics at UT San Antonio.		Shafqat Shah, MD, professor of pediatric hematology-oncology with expertise in neuro-oncology and cancer survivorship at Mays Cancer Center.		Debra Kent, DNP, MSN, APRN-PC, RN, associate professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and director of the adult survivorship program, Mays Cancer Center.