Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Help Fight Childhood Cancer by Raising Awareness

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

It is a time to honor those battling pediatric cancers, the families who love them, the medical experts who treat them, the researchers developing cures, and the lives lost. It is also a time to raise awareness about the importance of supporting research and treatment.

Childhood cancer affects many children right here in Connecticut and around the globe.

• 43 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer every day.
• Before they turn 20, about 1 in 285 children in the U.S. will have cancer.
• Worldwide, at least 300,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. That’s one child diagnosed at least every 2 minutes.
• About 420,000 adults in the U.S. are childhood cancer survivors and more than 95% of childhood cancer survivors have significant treatment-related health issues.

Families facing childhood cancers know how painful, challenging and overwhelming it can be, but there is hope.

While childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease past infancy for U.S. children, thanks to better therapies and treatments, more than 80% of U.S. childhood cancer patients now become long-term survivors. In 1975, only 61 percent of U.S. children with cancer survived. Treatment for cancer is clearly being transformed every day and research is underway to continue developing new treatments.

While it may seem like we are powerless when faced with something like cancer, there is always something we can do to help others.

• Donate to organizations committed to research and treatment (Examples: St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Alex’s Lemonade Stand  Foundation, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, or the American Cancer Society. TIP: check with charitynavigator.org before making a donation to any charity or organization).
• Sign up for events such as a virtual St. Jude Walk/Run, a St. Baldrick’s head shaving event or organize your own fundraisers.
• Support Make A Wish Foundation . Wishes can change their lives.
• SPREAD THE WORD! Share messages like this with others to spread the word. Social media can make a big impact! Every little bit helps when we all work together.

To learn more about childhood cancers including how to support lifesaving research, visit the below resources:

• American Cancer Society – Childhood Cancer Information
• Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation – About Childhood Cancer
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Childhood Cancer Facts
• St. Baldrick’s Foundation – About Childhood Cancer
• Make A Wish Foundation