September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which is a time to acknowledge everyone that has been affected by it. Whether that’s patients, families, or friends. Each year, around 16,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States and around 15% of them will not survive. While this is very adverse, cancer research has come a long way. 50 years ago, the survival rate for childhood cancer was only around 63%. Since then it has gone up over 20%. This shows research is growing, and everyday, scientists are one step closer to reaching the final goal, finding a cure for all childhood cancers. The children that have to suffer through cancer can have a lot of hard days, but they also push through with a smile on their face.
Watching someone you love and care about battle cancer is tough, and all you want to do is help them fight it and get better, which you can do in many ways. One of the ways you can help is donating to one of the many organizations that help fight childhood cancer. Here are a few organizations that dedicate their time, money, and research into doing just that:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital- They are a hospital committed to help fight, and cure pediatric cancer and diseases. They host many fundraising events all over the country to ensure they never have to send a family a bill, no matter their ability to pay.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand- You may have already heard of this organization when eating at a restaurant, but if not, they have a unique approach to raising money for childhood cancer by selling lemonade. Their mission is to “change the lives of children with cancer.”
National Pediatric Cancer Foundation- Their focus is to find less harmful treatments for childhood cancer that reduce the amount of side effects, but are also more effective, so they can reach their long term goal of curing childhood cancer. They provide many ways for people to get involved in their community, such as volunteering, donations, and programs to help raise money.
American Childhood Cancer Organization- This organization is run by parents of childhood cancer patients. Their mission is to support, serve, and advocate for other parents of cancer patients with their community. They help with policies, research, and programs, both nationally and internationally.
Sources:National Institutes of Health: National Cancer Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, American Childhood Cancer Organization
