Today we’d like to introduce you to The Driven To Cure Team.
The Driven To Cure Team, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Andrew Lee founded Driven To Cure at age 19, following his diagnosis with stage 4 HLRCC Kidney Cancer. Shortly after his diagnosis, Andrew decided to use his passion for cars to raise awareness about rare kidney cancers. Andrew founded Driven To Cure and—along with his family and friends—spent his remaining years travelling the country in his bright orange Nissan GTR; sharing hope and an awe-inspiring vehicle with young people battling cancer while raising both awareness of rare kidney cancers and funds to support research for a cure. Andrew died peacefully on April 21, 2019, surrounded by those he loved.
Andrew was succeeded by his father Bruce, who took over as Driven To Cure’s President and CEO. Bruce spent the next four years growing the organization into a leading global provider of resources about HLRCC and other rare kidney cancers. Heartbreakingly, Bruce lost his own battle with cancer in December of 2022.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Driven to Cure’s mission is to bring awareness and provide funding for the research of rare kidney cancers in children and young adults. Since its founding in 2016, Driven to Cure has donated more than 1,500,000.00 to the NIH Foundation, the UCLA Foundation and other leading institutions focused on finding a cure for HLRCC and other rare kidney cancers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Driven To Cure was born out of a heartbreaking diagnosis, but Andrew, and later Bruce, always championed our mission with such courage, optimism, and empathy. Now that they are gone, the organization is run by Bruce’s wife and Andrew’s mother, Sarah Lee, along with an amazing board of directors and group of volunteers. While the nature of our work obviously involves fighting a devastating illness, we are inspired every day by the families, and especially the young people we meet, who are fighting so bravely with a passion that reminds us of Bruce and Andrew every day. For this reason, we are more committed than ever to finding a cure and continuing the critically important work Andrew and Bruce started.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are proud to say that what started as one teenager’s dream has become a leading global resource focused on sharing information about–and raising critical funds to find a cure for–rare kidney cancers affecting children and young people.
By taking the bright orange Nissan GTR around the country to car meets and other events, Andrew Lee touched so many lives. Each week we get messages from people who have stories to share about the time they met Andrew. Many of these genuine connections have translated into people falling in love with the Driven To Cure mission and joining us in the fight to find a cure to these rare forms of kidney cancer.
We are particularly honored to work with globally-recognized leading researchers at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. To date, Driven To Cure has donated more than $1,500,000 to support cutting-edge kidney cancer research at these institutions.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
When asked about his car, Andrew had this to say…
“As the dust began to settle from my finding out about the cancer, I remember sitting down with my dad, as the clock was ticking. He stood there and asked a simple question. “Andrew” he said, “what are your life goals?” I thought for a moment with this new lens on life, looked at him, and chuckled ‘Well I need to own my dream car sometime in my life.’ But my dad didn’t take it as a joke…Three weeks after being diagnosed, I found myself sinking into the soft leather of my very own brand new Nissan GTR. It was more than a dream come true.
The DTC GTR has proven to be the closest thing I have to a cure for my cancer. Driving the GTR has become a tremendous outlet for me. The places I have gone, the people I have met, and the passions I have developed just because of this gift have become the best medicine available. Within days of driving the car off the lot I found myself attending local car shows, answering lots of questions about HLRCC, and creating new friendships with people of all different backgrounds. As folks started talking, my story began spreading and within a month people started to recognize me and why I had this incredible vehicle. It was clear my situation had a big impact on others and I suddenly found myself experiencing an immense outpouring of love and support. It was then I realized that the vehicle of my dreams was also the vehicle which gave me the opportunity to make a difference; to do something bigger than myself. That is why I am here, writing this story.”
Today it makes us happy to continue Andrew and Bruce’s work by raising funds and awareness toward finding a cure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.driventocure.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/driventocure/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driventocure/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrivenToCure
