3-time Oklahoma cancer survivor fights for cancer research funding

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Howie Jackson wants to give others the same second chance at life he got.

He is a 3-time cancer survivor who is taking his story to the nation's capitol to fight for cancer research funding.

"The general ask for every representative and senator was for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, which includes funding for the National Cancer Institute," Jackson said. "Then we also wanted to see the multi-cancer early detection bill, to see that get passed."

That is the goal for Chickasha Native Howie Jackson, along with hundreds of other cancer survivors and advocates who were on Capitol Hill Tuesday, fighting to preserve research funding.

Jackson says the funding is incredibly important, and is the reason he is alive today. He was diagnosed with leukemia decades ago.

"The way the leukemia progressed, I needed a bone marrow transplant," Jackson said. "I had no idea what that meant. So, our guys put me into a registry because I am adopted. That registry yielded a match, and the match was cord blood. So, I thought, what is that? Well, it's the blood from the umbilical cord, from a delivered pregnancy. So, something that is typically thrown it out, considered medical waste, is now used to save lives."

The first treatment of its kind happened in 1915. Jackson's treatment was in 2002.

"I'm basically a product of medical research," Jackson said.

This is why he hopes discussions of cutting $18 billion from the National Institutes of Health will not become a reality.

The White House stresses no one should be concerned, saying, "NIH funding allocated to cancer research has not been cut or changed under the Trump administration, which has cut wasteful DEI and other ideological pet project grants."

Jackson says conversations with lawmakers went wellon Tuesday.

"Each and every meeting, they were very supportive, they agreed," Jackson said.

He hopes funding will remain so researchers can develop more cures.

"You and I may have kids that will have a diagnosis at some point," Jackson said. "There is a treatment that hasn't even been thought of yet. We're not going to get those treatments without the funding."

As things stand right now, Congress is holding the National Cancer Institute's budget steady in its new government funding package.

The deadline is September 30th.