The Carrot Seed Foundation was established by Mark and Mary Ellen Unger to help fund pediatric cancer research, clinical trials, pediatric oncology nursing scholarships and other causes that help families overcome the hardship of battling Neuroblastoma. Funds donated to the foundation are distributed to a range of charities that we support due to their on-going efforts in fighting Neuroblastoma. In 2017 funds were donated to Make A Wish, The Band of Parents and Memorial Sloan Kettering. In the long term, we will continue to search for similar charities as well as other causes that meet the criteria of our mission statement. If you would like to learn more, please contact us.
The name of the foundation, Carrot Seed, is based upon the children’s book written in 1945 Ruth Krauss. Mary Ellen read this book to Louis all the time and it was a source of continued inspiration. It is about a young boy who plants a carrot seed in his yard. Over time his parents, brother and all his friends tell him it will never grow. But the boy was determined and kept tending to the seed until one day the carrot sprouted, just as he knew it would. When he pulled the carrot out of the ground it filled a whole wheelbarrow. This simple story is a reflection of the battle they went through with Louis.
Donations are made from Carrot Seed to these Charities
Mark and Mary Ellen Unger's son Louis was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at age 3. He battled this treacherous cancer for 5 years with the leadership of the neuroblastoma team at Memorial Sloan Kettering. After relapsing with the cancer in his brain, his incredible team of doctors developed a new treatment protocol that cured him and made him the First Survivor of this relapse. This book was written by Mark to tell the story of how advocacy helped save his son and countless others from this disease.