Inspired by Patients, Valley Children’s Nurse Raises More Than $134,000 for Blood Cancer Research

Published August 17, 2026

MADERA, Calif. – As a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Valley Children’s Hospital, Grace Meyer cares for children during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Inspired by their resilience, Meyer took her commitment beyond hospital walls, raising more than $134,000 for Blood Cancer United and earning the organization’s Visionary of the Year title.

Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, is a national nonprofit organization focused on advocacy and support for patients facing blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Its Visionary of the Year campaign is a 10-week leadership and fundraising initiative that challenges selected community leaders to raise awareness and critical funding for the fight against blood cancer.

For Meyer, who has worked at Valley Children’s for more than four years, the decision to participate was deeply connected to the patients she cares for every day.

“Working in the PICU, we take care of many kids who have battled blood cancer so bravely,” Meyer said. “Only 4% of the federally allocated cancer research budget goes to pediatric cancers, and often children receive chemotherapies that are designed for adults and not children.”

Beginning in February, Meyer and her fundraising team embarked on the 10-week campaign. By the end of the effort, they had raised more than $134,000 to support research grants, treatments and direct patient support programs.

While the fundraising campaign took place outside of her clinical responsibilities at Valley Children’s, Meyer said it was a natural extension of her commitment to helping children and families.

“I believe in the life-saving treatment my team provides in the PICU,” she said. “The PICU team does amazing things for the children in our community, but I wanted to find a way to prevent a child from entering our unit.”

Meyer views the fundraising effort as an investment in the future of pediatric cancer care, one that could help improve outcomes for children long before they need intensive care services.

“It’s my hope that the money I raised could save a child’s life, fund research that makes treatment easier for children, or invent a diagnostic tool that helps with early detection of cancer,” she said.

The effort reflected the same commitment that guides Meyer’s work at Valley Children’s. Whether she’s caring for a critically ill child in the PICU or supporting research that could improve outcomes for future patients, her goal remains the same: helping children live healthier lives.