September

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  I have to admit that I am quite frustrated because it sure seems that you can mention breast cancer and everyone is supporting its efforts, but it feels like we have to work so hard to just get people to realize that kids get cancer too.

A few (because I want you to finish reading the entire post) facts about childhood cancer:

• Cancer is the #1 cause of death from disease in children ages 1-19 in the U.S.
• Every school day, another 46 children are diagnosed with cancer 
• Only 3% of cancer research money goes toward childhood cancers 
• In the past 35 years, ONLY ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
• Since children can handle much more chemotherapy than can adults, most treatments are little more than mega doses of adult cancer chemotherapy treatments. The results of these high doses of chemo on children is a higher rate of secondary cancers.  (Which means they live the nightmare of cancer more than once.) 
  
• Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region.

Anyway, here are a few things you can do to show support for those children:

• Wear gold to show you are aware...or wear orange because you all know that leukemia is one of the top childhood cancers.
• Get your business/company to wear their pajamas to work for a day!  This is a fun idea and a cheap way to raise money for the children locally.  (Or convince those PTA ladies to let the kids do it at school!)
• Support Hopekids which brings hope to kids locally by providing activities to children.  "Because Hope is a Powerful Medicine."  
• My family is participating in a run this weekend.  Help us reach our goal!  Our minimum that we are needing to raise is $100.  We aren't quite there.  Please donate even a $1 or pass the information on to someone who can help.
• Check out Kids Cancer Crusade and Supersibs to see the amazing programs they offer and see what you can do to help out.  (I know that KCC are frequently looking for people who will donate their photography talent.)
• There are families at Primary Children's Hospital, that need to eat daily or need some words of encouragement.  Do something for them!

You all have been so very supportive over the past many months, but I feel this month we can all go above and beyond.  Who knows, with the odds it could be your child next.  What would you do?