Danville mother backs Prop 38 after son’s leukemia battle

A Danville mother says medical research has given her son with leukemia new treatment options after standard therapies failed, and she is urging voters to support Proposition 38. The measure would direct $8.4 billion toward immunology research and related grants, with backers saying it could speed new cures and lower costs for California patients.

Why it matters: - Proposition 38 would direct $8.4 billion toward immunology research aimed at cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and other diseases. - Supporters say the measure could expand treatment options for patients whose standard therapies have already failed. - The proposal also promises a lower price for Californians if new cures or immunotherapies are developed.

What happened: - Bhavika Taunk, a Danville mother and advocate for childhood cancer patients, published a guest opinion Friday in the Pleasanton Weekly backing Proposition 38. - Taunk’s son was diagnosed at age 4 with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. - He later underwent chemotherapy, faced multiple relapses and received a bone marrow transplant from his brother. - Taunk wrote that medical research gave doctors new options when standard treatments failed. - Taunk said her family is still hoping for a cure through a clinical trial. - Her column was titled “Prop 38 gives my son and others a fighting chance.”

The details: - Proposition 38 is called the Immunology Medical Research & Cures Initiative. - Half of the funding would go to competitive research grants at California universities and nonprofit research institutions. - The other half would support a nonprofit immunology institute affiliated with the University of California. - The institute would bring together scientists, technology, laboratories, patients and clinical trials. - Backers say immunotherapies are already treating melanoma, lung cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. - The measure would also fund work on Parkinson’s, diabetes, ALS, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. - Ten percent of licensing proceeds from immunotherapies developed under Prop 38 would return to California to offset the measure’s total costs, including interest. - Any cure or immunotherapy developed under the measure would be offered to California patients at a 20% discount below the national average. - The proposal includes a 2% cap on state administrative expenses. - The measure requires public disclosure of spending and independent financial audits. - For-profit corporations would not be eligible for grant funding. - More information is available at YESon38.com.

Between the lines: - Taunk’s argument frames Prop 38 as both a family issue and a research-funding strategy. - The pitch leans on a sense of urgency around federal research cuts and stalled clinical trials. - The measure is also designed to answer skepticism by building in repayment, pricing and audit requirements. - The campaign says at least 160 active clinical trials nationwide were affected by the termination of NIH grants in 2025. - The campaign also says California universities have started curtailing biomedical research and delaying hiring because federal grants were terminated or withheld.

What’s next: - Proposition 38 now moves to voters as supporters seek to build momentum around childhood cancer and broader immunology research. - The campaign is directing supporters to coalition materials and public statements from backers at its website. - If approved, the measure would set up the statewide grant network and affiliated institute to begin funding research and clinical translation.

The bottom line: - Taunk’s endorsement puts a personal face on Prop 38’s pitch: more research funding now could mean more treatment options later for California families facing hard-to-treat disease.**