The Passion Behind Our Name

The new Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and UH Seidman Cancer Center embodies the transformative power of individual passion, professional vision and institutional excellence in the care of children and young adults with cancer and blood disorders.

Part of the passion belongs to Char and Chuck Fowler, whose search for a meaningful way to improve both experiences and outcomes for adolescents and young adults with cancer – the AYA community – began after losing their teenage daughter Angie to melanoma in 1983.

Another major passionate force was John Letterio, MD, whose vision for a new institution to address a crucial shortcoming in cancer care: the fact that outcomes for those aged 15-30 were no better now than in 1970. He envisioned a program focused on AYA cancer breakthroughs, where leading pediatric hematology/oncology specialists could gather in a highly collaborative atmosphere within a major research and teaching hospital.

That environment already existed at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital’s Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology – for decades ranked among the nation’s best for care of pediatric cancer and blood disorders – alongside the new University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine and the National Cancer Institute-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In this unique setting, the Fowler family’s support provided the first endowed chair in AYA oncology at an NCI-designated Cancer Center, attracting Yousif Matloub, MD and a growing team of pediatric and AYA specialists focused on eliminating barriers, developing early diagnosis strategies and improving access to life-saving clinical trials. Their gift of $17 million has been inspirational, generating donations totaling over $28 million to-date.

The Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute is already a destination center and national focal point for AYA oncology research and treatment. Our breakthrough facility is dedicated to a life-affirming experience for every patient, and to the discovery that leads to research, clinical trials, and treatments available nowhere else.