Charlotte’s Story
Charlotte Murdoff was a vibrant, compassionate, and determined young woman whose warmth and joyful spirit touched everyone she met. She was the beloved daughter of Sherrick and Alli Murdoff and a loving sister to Maggie and Matthew Murdoff. Athletic, creative, funny, and full of grit, Charlotte loved spending time with her family and friends, fashion, cooking, sports, the beach, all things cozy, and her beloved dog, Cody. Her bright smile could light up any room, and her kindness made her a cherished friend to so many.
In July 2018, just before her sophomore year of high school, Charlotte was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right femur. She began chemotherapy on her 15th birthday and endured nine months of treatment, limb-salvage surgery, and a brief period of remission before her cancer returned in her lungs.
Charlotte approached every opportunity with extraordinary courage and determination. Over the next several years, she underwent multiple chemotherapy regimens, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, thoracotomy surgeries, a pleurectomy, participated in a CAR T-cell clinical trial, and received an investigational therapy. If there was a treatment that offered hope for herself or future osteosarcoma patients, Charlotte was willing to pursue it.
Even while facing cancer, Charlotte found meaningful ways to give back. She launched That’s Sew Char, a sewing business that raised funds for osteosarcoma research, reflecting her commitment to helping future patients.
Charlotte passed away on September 22, 2021, after a courageous three-year battle with osteosarcoma. Today, the Charlotte Murdoff Osteosarcoma Research Fund at The Osteosarcoma Institute carries forward her legacy by supporting expert-led osteosarcoma research focused on developing better treatments and, ultimately, finding a cure. By supporting Charlotte’s fund, you are honoring her remarkable legacy while helping accelerate the research needed to improve outcomes and bring hope to osteosarcoma patients and families around the world.
More Ways to Contribute
Please write “Charlotte Murdoff” in the memo when donating via check, PayPal, or Venmo.
CHECKS
To make a tax-deductible contribution, please mail checks to our address below:
The Osteosarcoma Institute
3963 Maple Avenue, Suite 390
Dallas, TX 75219
PAYPAL
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VENMO
If prompted, the last four digits of the OSI’s phone number associated with our Venmo account @Osteosarcoma-Institute are 7927.
Why Your Support Matters
There have been no new approved treatments for osteosarcoma in over 45 years.
Patients today are still treated with the same options used decades ago.
Osteosarcoma is rare—but devastating.
Only about 1,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year, mostly children, teens, and young adults—making it severely underfunded.
When osteosarcoma spreads, survival drops dramatically.
Survival falls from roughly 75% to about 25% once the disease metastasizes, most often to the lungs.
Pediatric cancers receive a fraction of research funding.
Only about 4% of federal cancer research funding goes to pediatric cancers.
Private funding is essential to make progress.
Without family-driven and community-driven support, many of the most promising osteosarcoma research efforts simply would not happen.
Our Strategy
Globally estimated, there are over 26,000 new cases of osteosarcoma diagnosed each year, with 1,000 being diagnosed in the US, but treatment options haven’t advanced in 40 years. To find a cure for osteosarcoma, we have to collaborate, innovate, and translate around the most promising science.
Our Mission
The Osteosarcoma Institute’s mission is to dramatically increase treatment options and survival rates in osteosarcoma patients through identifying and funding the most promising and breakthrough osteosarcoma clinical trials and science.