Miracle Fund Events

Established in memory of Diana Hyland who lost her battle with metastatic breast cancer in 2008, the Miracle Fund was created to support research for advanced breast cancer, focusing on new theories, trials and treatments aimed at managing the cancer and extending lives.

Through the Miracle Fund, supporters honor the memory of loved ones and volunteers who lost their battle with breast cancer. Inspired by Diana Hyland's life and legacy, breast cancer patient Becky Hennessy was an active volunteer and advocate for the Miracle Fund and its efforts to fuel clinical research for advanced breast cancer. Becky served as a longtime co-chair of the annual golf outing until her passing in 2017; the annual golf outing was named in her honor in after her passing.

Events Supporting the Miracle Fund

Since the Miracle Fund’s inception in 2008, annual events like the Becky Hennessy Golf Classic and the Miracles Happen Celebration have raised more than $23 million for clinical research and treatment of advanced stage breast cancer at UH Seidman Cancer Center. The prevalence of cancer continues to affect many friends of the Miracles Happen community. As a result, the Miracle Fund has been expanded to support research and treatment options for all advanced cancers.

Your generosity advances our nationally recognized cancer center’s mission to deliver state-of-the-art, personalized cancer treatment. Notable achievements from this past year include:

• Recruitment of two additional faculty members to the breast cancer group; Takae Mizukami MD, PhD, an expert in cancer genetics, and Sonia Oliviera MD, who brings significant experience in clinical trials.
• Expansion of breast cancer clinical trials, increasing enrollment by 25%.
• Discovery of a new drug that targets and kills breast cancer cells as a potential treatment option.
• Advancement in understanding of the biology of cancer - specifically the processes inside cells that drive the growth of cancer cells, which sheds light on how to stop their growth.
• Seth Field, MD, PhD serves on the senior advisory board of the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, where he helps determine funding nationally and internationally that will help push toward a cure. 

Family, friends, and supporters gather together semi-annually at the Miracles Happen Celebration to honor the life of Diana Hyland and continue her mission to further breast cancer research. The next Miracles Happen Celebration, will be in the Fall of 2027.

The Becky Hennessy Golf Classic is an annual Summer golf outing. It honors the life of Becky Hennessy, who was an advocate for the Miracle Fund and its efforts to fuel clinical research for advanced breast cancer. 

For more information about the events or how to make a gift to support the Miracle Fund, contact Shannon Burke at 216-308-4110 or Shannon.Burke@UHhospitals.org.