BA Foundation formed to raise awareness for DSRCT
When Blake Abercrombie was diagnosed with Desmoplastic small round cell tumors, or DSRCT, in June 2019, his friends and family hosted a golf tournament to raise money for treatment.
Now Blake and his wife, Amanda, are doing the same for others through the BA Foundation Golf Tournament, hosted by their non-profit, the BA Foundation — a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to spreading awareness about DSRCT and raising money for research and clinical trials.
The proceeds will go to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to help with their everyday needs on top of the federal grants they receive from the government, Abercrombie said. MD Anderson is the world’s leader in DSRCT research and treatment, with a promising clinical trial being conducted at the beginning of 2022, Abercrombie said.
“It’s so rare that nobody here knows what it is,” Abercrombie said. DSRCT is an extremely rare form of cancer, with fewer than 500 cases since it was discovered in 1989. There are very few treatment options available and no cure for the disease.
Because Alabama medical professionals aren’t familiar with DSRCT, Abercrombie said, Abercrombie’s doctors in Alabama receive directions from doctors at MD Anderson.
Blake and Amanda were so moved by their friends and family organizing the golf tournament to raise money that they decided they wanted to do the same for other people.
“We wanted to make a difference, so we formed this organization based off of what these guys did for me and my family with the BA Open two years ago with the amount of money we raised in almost a month,” Abercrombie said. “We decided to take that a step further and really try to raise awareness and raise money to do some more research and to fund some clinical trials.”
In spring of 2020, the Abercrombies began to make that dream a reality. “The first thing we did was call David Foster, who is the director of our board, to see if he would be interested in being the president of the board,” Abercrombie said. “He agreed to do so, he’s got a lot of experience — he was on UAB’s cancer board and a couple of other boards. We’re blessed to have him.”
Abercrombie said they applied for their 501c3 status in the fall of 2020 but it was not approved until the spring of 2021. On June 8, the Abercrombies announced the launch of the BA Foundation on Facebook and invited people to donate and support their nonprofit.
Blake said they are looking for people to fight with them. He said he invites people to donate to the BA Foundation and he appreciates any amount donated. “There’s nothing too small and nothing too large,” Abercrombie said.
Amanda said that though it’s been difficult for her and Blake since he was diagnosed, the resilience that she sees in her husband and their children keeps her going. “It’s been amazing seeing Blake through this journey and how he’s grown and what he continues to do each day despite what he’s going through. It’s definitely encouraging for myself and my kids and for every single person that hears our story.”
The BA Foundation Golf Tournament will be held at the Old Overton Club in Vestavia Hills on Nov. 1 at 12:30. Abercrombie said though all spots for the tournament have been filled, the foundation is still taking sponsorships for the event.