September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

I cannot even imagine the pain and fear that comes with a diagnosis of cancer for one's child. Now take a moment to consider what the poor children go through. Having identical twins with Down syndrome, this is probably my greatest underlying fear with regards to their health... because children with Down syndrome are at a greater risk for developing juvenile leukemia. But, there are so many childhood cancers and so many children fighting for their lives every day it's hard not to worry about who is next.

Did you know?

• Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.
  
• On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.
  
• One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.
  
• Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.
  
• Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children – more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.
  
• In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.
  
• Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
  
• Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.
  
• As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on Childhood Cancer Research each year.
  
• There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.
  
• Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.
  
• Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.
  

So what can you do?

• Wear GOLD for our kids!! When people ask who you're wearing gold for, TELL them!! It's for the thousands of children who have and are fighting childhood cancer EVERY day!
  
• Go eat at Chili's on September 28th! They will be donating 100% of their profits to St. Jude's, a leader in Childhood Cancer Research.
  
• Register at marrow.org and become a bone marrow donor! It's quick and painless and you could save someone's life!!
  
• Donate blood as often as possible! Kids on chemo receive countless transfusions and blood is always in high demand!
  
• Take a meal to your local Ronald McDonald House or children's hospital to give to a family there, it will be SO appreciated! Stick in a card just to make them smile! The days and nights are long, and anything to break them up is a welcome relief!
  
• Most of all, just don't forget… Childhood Cancer Awareness should be EVERY day! Who do YOU wear gold for?

A Poignant Message From the Folks at Saint Jude's 6A Wing


* These facts and the video were excerpted from Renee's post on 5 Minutes For Special Needs. (Click the link to read the post in it's entirety.)