Ron DeSantis just proved why Florida stands apart from the rest of the country.
He's putting money where other states only offer empty promises.
And Ron DeSantis delivered one huge win for Florida families that left Democrats seething.
DeSantis channels personal tragedy into historic pediatric cancer funding
Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Florida is investing $30 million in pediatric cancer research across four of the state's specialized children's hospitals.¹
Each hospital—Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami, and Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville—will receive $7.5 million over the next five years.²
This isn't just another government handout.
DeSantis watched his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, battle breast cancer after her 2021 diagnosis.³
She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and six weeks of radiation while their three children were all under five years old.⁴
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1985443506480116094
That experience transformed how the DeSantis administration approaches cancer research funding.
"I can't imagine what it would be like to have a child who was diagnosed with cancer, but all we can say is that today, as a result of this investment in great institutions who are doing wonderful things, that there's now more hope than ever before for a lot of parents out there," Casey DeSantis said at Monday's announcement.⁵
Florida fills the gap Washington, D.C. abandoned
Here's what nobody's talking about: pediatric cancer research gets scraps from the federal government while adult cancer programs rake in billions.
Only 4% of all federal cancer research funding goes to childhood cancers.⁶
Congress just made it worse by stripping pediatric cancer research provisions from the year-end spending bill in December 2024, including the Gabriella Miller Kids First Act and the Give Kids a Chance Act.⁷
Florida is doing what Washington, D.C. won't.
Since 2019, DeSantis has invested more than $1 billion in cancer research and treatment—a 114% increase from before he took office.⁸
This year alone, Florida committed nearly $218 million to cancer initiatives through three different programs.⁹
The new $30 million goes through the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator, housed within the Florida Department of Health.¹⁰
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1985361923555352628
It focuses specifically on pediatric cancer for its first five-year cycle because Florida accounts for 6% of all new pediatric cancer cases nationally despite being only 6.5% of the U.S. population.¹¹
Cancer is the leading disease killer for children under 14, yet pharmaceutical companies see almost no financial incentive to develop treatments because the patient population is too small.¹²
That leaves families traveling out of state for experimental therapies their local hospitals can't access.
Dr. Mark Toney, Wolfson Children's Hospital vice president of medical affairs, explained the problem bluntly.
"Although Florida is the nation's third-largest state for children, we still lack a top 25 pediatric cancer program. Too many families have to travel out of state for specialized treatment and added burden during an already difficult time," Toney said.¹³
That changes now.
The Cancer Connect model delivers results the feds can't match
DeSantis created something Washington, D.C. bureaucrats wouldn't understand if you drew them a picture—an actual results-oriented collaboration between researchers, doctors, and hospitals.
The Cancer Connect Collaborative brings together Florida's four National Cancer Institute-designated hospitals plus institutions working toward that designation.¹⁴
It operates on five pillars: Data, Best Practices, Innovation, Honesty, and Funding.¹⁵
Translation: share information, learn what works, try new approaches, tell the truth about outcomes, and put money behind it.
No federal red tape strangling innovation.
No turf wars between competing bureaucracies.
Just doctors and researchers focused on saving kids' lives.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1985413296699425162
Wolfson Children's Hospital plans to use its $7.5 million to create a home-delivery chemotherapy program, reaching families who can't make constant hospital trips.¹⁶
That's the kind of practical innovation government funding enables when politicians actually care about outcomes instead of photo ops.
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris put it simply: "This is what the Cancer Connect Collaborative Research Incubator is all about, not only advancing the science around treatment and prevention, but also overcoming the barriers to accessing care."¹⁷
Casey DeSantis turned her cancer battle into a mission.
She launched the Cancer Connect Collaborative in 2023 after beating breast cancer.¹⁸
The woman went through hell—six rounds of chemo, surgery, radiation, all while raising three kids under five—and came out fighting for other families.¹⁹
That's the difference between politicians who talk about caring and leaders who actually do something.
Florida families facing childhood cancer won't need to drain savings accounts for out-of-state treatments or beg pharmaceutical companies for experimental drugs.
They'll have access to cutting-edge research and clinical trials right here in Florida.
That's what happens when a governor stops waiting for Washington, D.C. to fix problems and just fixes them himself.
¹ Michelle Vecerina, "DeSantis announces $30 million investment to boost pediatric cancer research and treatment," Florida News, November 3, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Casey DeSantis opens up about her battle with breast cancer," NBC News, August 11, 2023.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Gabrielle Russon, "Florida is giving $30 million to four hospitals for pediatric cancer programs," Florida Politics, November 3, 2025.
⁶ "Pediatric Cancer: Diagnosis and Survival," Children's Cancer Foundation, February 28, 2024.
⁷ "What Happened to Pediatric Cancer Research and Treatment in Congress's Recent Tragic Political Drama?" First Focus on Children, January 3, 2025.
⁸ "Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Highlight Fully-Funded Cancer Research and Treatment Funding," Florida Governor's Office, November 3, 2025.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Vecerina, "DeSantis announces $30 million investment."
¹¹ "Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Announce Cancer Incubator Awards," Florida Governor's Office, November 3, 2025.
¹² "Pediatric Cancer: Diagnosis and Survival," Children's Cancer Foundation.
¹³ Russon, "Florida is giving $30 million to four hospitals."
¹⁴ "Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Highlight Fully-Funded Cancer Research," Florida Governor's Office.
¹⁵ "Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Announce Cancer Incubator Awards," Florida Governor's Office.
¹⁶ Russon, "Florida is giving $30 million to four hospitals."
¹⁷ Ibid.
¹⁸ "Ron DeSantis, Casey DeSantis Spotlight Florida's Cancer Fight," The Floridian, September 24, 2025.
¹⁹ "Casey DeSantis opens up about her battle with breast cancer," NBC News.
