GOING BEYOND THE GOLD FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER

[Susan Beausang]

Given my own family and personal history, I confess that I often focus on women’s cancers. An email from a customer last year prompted me to take a closer look at children’s cancers and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I’ve always been slightly shattered by my conversations with mothers of young girls confronting cancer and in need of a pretty and uplifting head scarf. I am glad that I can offer something to uplift and put a smile on a young girl’s face. Upon taking a closer look at the national statistics on childhood cancers, I was floored and will never let another September pass without directing our collective attention to childhood cancers. It was as recently as September 13, 2008 that the Senate resolution was passed officially making September our country’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Given the following statistics, one has to wonder why it took so long.Cancer is the second overall leading cause of death of children in the U.S.Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.Eighty percent of children have metastatic disease at time of diagnosis as compared to only 20 percent of adults.Currently, only 2% of federal funding for cancer research is directed at solving cancers that impact our children.So in addition to displaying our gold ribbons in recognition of this important month, I found a couple other ways individuals can help make a difference.

The first is by supporting a fundraising collaboration between CURE Childhood Cancer and AirTran Airways. In recognition of September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, AirTran Airways is supporting CURE in their mission by offering a $20 voucher - good on any airline ticket on AirTran Airways through December 16, 2010 - to every person who donates at least $20 to CURE during the month of September.You can also support CURE and individual children touched by cancer through CURE’s “Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time!” Special CURE Kids will be featured each day for the entire month of September, each having been personally affected by childhood cancer. Some featured children will be in the midst of their precious fight, some have conquered the disease, and some have lost the battle and will be honored on their special day. Each day, the featured children and their families have committed to reaching out to their networks in an effort to each raise $1,000 to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer. You can help CURE in their goal of raising $60,000 in the month of September while honoring special CURE kids each day of the month who have been affected by childhood cancer. Go for the gold and help cure childhood cancer!

Susan Beausang