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Our
Journey:
Journey:
Avalon's Army of Angels
| September 13, 2008 National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day! |
September 13, 2008: The Very FIRST National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day
Childhood Cancer Facts
- Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children — more than asthma, cystic
fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.
- One in every 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 19.
- The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer
received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers
combined received less than 3%.
- Childhood cancer is not a single disease, but rather many different types that fall into 12 major
categories. Common adult cancers are extremely rare in children, yet many cancers are almost
exclusively found in children.
- One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer dies.
- Common cancer symptoms in children — fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises and
infection — are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood
illnesses.
- Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset
side effects.
- Childhood Cancers are cancers that primarily affect children, teens, and young adults. When
cancer strikes children and young adults it affects them differently than it would an adult.
- Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage, when the disease would react more
favorably to treatment, have largely failed. Young patients often have a more advanced
stage of cancer when first diagnosed. (Only approximately 20% of adults with cancer show
evidence the disease has spread upon diagnosis. Compare that to almost 80% of children who
show that the cancer has spread to distant sites at the time of diagnosis).
- Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group,
socioeconomic class, or geographic region.
- The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented.
(Adult cancers often are the result of lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and
other exposure to cancer-causing agents).
- Nationally, childhood cancer is 20 times more prevalent than pediatric AIDS yet pediatric
AIDS receives four times the funding that childhood cancer receives.
- On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer
each year.
- On the average, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer.
- On the average, every high school in America has two students who are a current or
former cancer patient.
- In the U.S., about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single
school day. That's about the equivalent of two entire classrooms.
- While the cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other
age group, 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer.
- Today, up to 75% of the children with cancer can be cured, yet, some forms of childhood
cancers have proven so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is illusive.
- Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain
stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Childhood Cancer Facts
- Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children — more than asthma, cystic
fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.
- One in every 330 children will develop cancer before the age of 19.
- The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer
received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers
combined received less than 3%.
- Childhood cancer is not a single disease, but rather many different types that fall into 12 major
categories. Common adult cancers are extremely rare in children, yet many cancers are almost
exclusively found in children.
- One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer dies.
- Common cancer symptoms in children — fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises and
infection — are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood
illnesses.
- Three out of every five children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late onset
side effects.
- Childhood Cancers are cancers that primarily affect children, teens, and young adults. When
cancer strikes children and young adults it affects them differently than it would an adult.
- Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage, when the disease would react more
favorably to treatment, have largely failed. Young patients often have a more advanced
stage of cancer when first diagnosed. (Only approximately 20% of adults with cancer show
evidence the disease has spread upon diagnosis. Compare that to almost 80% of children who
show that the cancer has spread to distant sites at the time of diagnosis).
- Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group,
socioeconomic class, or geographic region.
- The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented.
(Adult cancers often are the result of lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and
other exposure to cancer-causing agents).
- Nationally, childhood cancer is 20 times more prevalent than pediatric AIDS yet pediatric
AIDS receives four times the funding that childhood cancer receives.
- On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer
each year.
- On the average, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer.
- On the average, every high school in America has two students who are a current or
former cancer patient.
- In the U.S., about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single
school day. That's about the equivalent of two entire classrooms.
- While the cancer death rate has dropped more dramatically for children than for any other
age group, 2,300 children and teenagers will die each year from cancer.
- Today, up to 75% of the children with cancer can be cured, yet, some forms of childhood
cancers have proven so resistant to treatment that, in spite of research, a cure is illusive.
- Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain
stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma.
| Here are some things you can do this month (and ALL YEAR ROUND, for the most part!) to support Childhood Cancer Awareness. None of these things involves any financial burden of any kind |
| Today, September 13, 2008, is the VERY FIRST... National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day! |
So, now you're saying, "Wow! That's absolutely ridiculous ... what can I do to HELP???" (right?) :-) |
| Because my love of cancer kids is infinite, but my time isn't, the following information is copied from Angel Henry Tucker's site. Henry's site copied it from Angel Jessica's site. I've also seen it on Warrior Zayla's site, Madeline's site, and darn-near-every-other-cancer-kid-I-know's site. While I did not write most of the words (I did add/delete some things from the bottome section), the facts are real, I agree with the sentiments, and I spent a ridiculous amount of time making the links work! This page, this day, explains my heart. PLEASE take a few minutes to read and really understand why I'm so passionate about "my kids". |
- Go to and learn about childhood cancer research and how over 220 hospitals
worldwide are cooperating in their research efforts, you will also find great general info here
- Go to and learn about childhood cancer staging, types, and its late effects
- Go to and see how one child made a HUGE difference in the world,
before she earned her wings
- Check out - the brainchild of the family of another
angel - consider becoming part of a unified voice against childhood cancer
- to learn of efforts being made around the
world to find a cure, raise awareness, and lend support, PAC2 is the heart-work of the father of
yet another Childhood Cancer Angel
- Tell everyone you know (and even those you don't know) how you, or someone you love, has
been touched by childhood cancer - SEND THEM HERE, to this site - so they can read about
the reality of childhood cancer, and the devastation it leaves behind...
- - our children's lives often depend on blood products
- WEAR GOLD FOR THE KIDS (Wear a gold ribbon, a gold scarf, a gold shirt, whatever you
have...money doesn't matter, your reason for wearing it does)
-
- Let a family that's been touched by childhood cancer know you STILL CARE and haven't
forgotten about their struggles ... let a family of an angel know their child remains in your heart
- (and ask your friends and family to sign, as
well!)
- Read this article on Forbes.com
- Offer to volunteer with a local childhood cancer charity. Here in Columbus, can
always use help. Maybe you would like to come to the quilt auction and buy a Christmas gift?
Maybe you have something you could donate to a silent auction? Maybe you could use an
evening out next Summer and attend their Mystery Night?
worldwide are cooperating in their research efforts, you will also find great general info here
- Go to and learn about childhood cancer staging, types, and its late effects
- Go to and see how one child made a HUGE difference in the world,
before she earned her wings
- Check out - the brainchild of the family of another
angel - consider becoming part of a unified voice against childhood cancer
- to learn of efforts being made around the
world to find a cure, raise awareness, and lend support, PAC2 is the heart-work of the father of
yet another Childhood Cancer Angel
- Tell everyone you know (and even those you don't know) how you, or someone you love, has
been touched by childhood cancer - SEND THEM HERE, to this site - so they can read about
the reality of childhood cancer, and the devastation it leaves behind...
- - our children's lives often depend on blood products
- WEAR GOLD FOR THE KIDS (Wear a gold ribbon, a gold scarf, a gold shirt, whatever you
have...money doesn't matter, your reason for wearing it does)
-
- Let a family that's been touched by childhood cancer know you STILL CARE and haven't
forgotten about their struggles ... let a family of an angel know their child remains in your heart
- (and ask your friends and family to sign, as
well!)
- Read this article on Forbes.com
- Offer to volunteer with a local childhood cancer charity. Here in Columbus, can
always use help. Maybe you would like to come to the quilt auction and buy a Christmas gift?
Maybe you have something you could donate to a silent auction? Maybe you could use an
evening out next Summer and attend their Mystery Night?
| See there? That's a LOT of stuff you can do and most of it only requires a bit of TIME and LOVE on your part. I know each and every one of you could do at least one thing on that list. Please do. Thank you for even reading these facts. By taking the time to do that, you've helped me in my mission to spread the word about our children. Every time you log on to this site, or to my Crazycancermom.com site, you are already helping these children, by simply taking the time to care. You're already involved! How exciting is that?! |