Build a Cure was founded in 2018 by Caitlin Boyle.
As a brain cancer patient, she wanted to help others with the same disease and she wanted to help find a cure.
Caitlin built the first Lego kit, the Architectural Paris kit. It was quiet, challenging, fun and she could do it a little bit at a time. She was heartbroken when she learned of so many small children who were also suffering. So she bought a few kits and gave them to a few patients. She then asked Dr. Carl Koschmann, University of Michigan Hospital pediatric oncologist and researcher who consulted on her team if he would help pass them out to his patients. Caitlin also sent kits to young adult patients she met through American Brain Tumor Association and social media.
Caitlin’s doctors attended a conference and learned of a new drug that could potentially help Caitlin. It was a trial drug, but she didn’t qualify for the trial. At age 26 she was too old - the study only included people under 18 years of age. Dr. Yoshie Unemura, Caitlin’s neuro oncologist, worked aggressively and tirelessly to get her the drug off trial. A trial can cost from $12,000-$23,000. Caitlin was approved! It took quite a long time, but the ONC201 did keep the tumor stable and even shrunk it. Caitlin was so thankful that she started to raise funds to help fund the patient trials and research.
Caitlin lived long enough to see many children and young adults receive and build their Lego kits. She sent a number of large checks to University of Michigan for research and trials. When Caitlin died in 2021 just 3 weeks before she turned 30, her family and friends vowed to continue Caitlin’s work. They continue to raise funds. The goal is to provide a kit to anyone suffering from brain cancer and raise enough to help research and trials continue the work needed to find a cure!