Eunice Ring is too familiar with the heartache that cancer brings.
When her daughter, Karen Weiss, was diagnosed with ROS1+ lung cancer in January of 2020, it created another painful chapter for a family deeply affected by cancer. Eunice herself has battled cancer twice. Two of Eunice’s three daughters have faced cancer. Karen’s diagnosis was her third experience with the disease; she had already successfully navigated a second occurrence of melanoma when she received the lung cancer diagnosis. Karen’s sister has had two different cancers; one being non-small cell lung cancer driven by an EGFR mutation.
Additionally, Eunice’s sister passed away tragically at the age of 37 from a cancer that could have been cured with a more timely diagnosis. "After my sister died, my parents didn’t want any other parent to endure what they had been through," Eunice shares. "So they wanted to make a gift of $300,000 to cancer research. “My parents wanted their money spent on cancer research – not a plaque on a door. And neither do I."
Now 90, Eunice thrives as both a survivor and a caretaker, driven by a passion to make a tangible impact on cancer research. Her involvement with the ROS1 community opened doors to invest in research directly tied to Karen’s ROS1+ diagnosis. “We had a few conversations [with Janet Freeman-Daily], and when we learned about the ROS1+ Cancer Innovation Awards, we got very excited,” Eunice recalls.
ROS1+ Cancer Innovation Awards offer $75,000 grants to researchers worldwide, supporting pre-clinical, translational, or clinical research. “We’ve designed these seed grants so that we, as a community, can use small grants to leverage greater investment,” says Janet Freeman-Daily. The hope is that initial data from these grants will lead to larger grants, investments and eventually major breakthroughs.
The Eunice and Milton Ring Grant for ROS1 Cancer Research funded a full $75,000 Innovation Award in 2024, adding a new research project to the Global ROS1 Initiative. The Ring grant went to Dr. Anthony Iafrate, Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Iafrate's team is seeking new approaches to targeting ROS1+ fusion cancers that can overcome acquired resistance to current targeted therapies. They aim to identify regions of ROS1 fusion proteins that can be attacked with covalent inhibitors, which may lead to new treatments.
“We are so excited that the Eunice and Milton Ring Grant added ROS1 research to Dr. Iafrate’s project,” said Freeman-Daily. “This is a great example of how small grants can make a really big difference.”
The Ring Family knows firsthand the impact of innovative research for cancer patients. Karen, like most in the ROS1 community, has benefited from new targeted therapy drugs. “I was just wrapping up treatment for my melanoma when the ROS1+ lung cancer diagnosis was made,” explains Weiss. “The drug I was on for melanoma had just been approved. And so was entrectinib, the first drug I took for lung cancer.”
“ROS1 needs more research, though,” explains Eunice Ring. “It’s an area where very little is being done. It’s not well-known and research is so minimal. I know wonderful things can come from research and the more we learn the more we help.” Again, her conviction stems from her family’s experience. Back in 1975, the donation her parents made in memory of Eunice’s sister was awarded to Michigan breast cancer researcher Jerome Horowitz. In 1964, Horowitz developed drugs in hopes of curing cancer, which later became the first successful treatment for AIDS – AZT.
The Ring family takes pride in this contribution, and is driven by how one piece of research can have profound yet unintended consequences. “Any kind of research can bring so many possibilities,” says Karen. “The Horowitz story was profound. As long as you’re researching, you’re going to come up with something. There are second hand uses for all the research done.”
While investing in the future, Eunice and Karen are enjoying the present – days gifted to Karen as her second TKI continues to control her cancer after four years. “I feel grateful every day. I live my life really full. My mom thinks it's too full! I am so grateful for my mom. She’s so positive and upbeat and her giving this money means so much to me.”
“I love our ROS1 group and I think maybe this will help everybody, and anybody. I love how we in this group help each other.”
The ROS1ders is a global group of patients and caregivers living with ROS1+ cancer. We seek to improve outcomes for all ROS1+ cancers through community, education, and research.
To learn more connect with us today.