Do This For The Kids

The Facts:

Did you know?*Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

*On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.

*One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

*Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

*Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.

*In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.

*Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.

*Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.

*As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on Childhood Cancer Research each year.

*There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximiately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.

*Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.

*Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

Yesterday I went to the Cure Kids Cancer Challenge Walk appropriately held on September 13th, the official day for Childhood Cancer Awareness. It was very hard being there but I knew Sierra would want me there. I plan on forming a team next year it would have been way too hard to have done it this year. It was so awesome to see people walking for the kids and helping to raise money for research. I am so thankful to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation (http://www.fastercure.org/) and all they do to save these lives.

Team Unite http://www.teamunite.net/ has a new strategy in their fight to help raise awareness and funding. Just go to their link and help us to help the kids. Basically, September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and do you hear it mentioned in the media? I know I haven't and I believe it is time the media gets on board and spread the word. Look how much the media has done for Breast Cancer Awareness we need the same done for the kids. So, here is the strategy:

1. Please continue to write to your local/national newspapers and TV New stations/programs asking them to do something to recognize September as Childhood Cancer Awareness month. In addition, please discuss the "Stand up to Cancer" event in your letters to ABC, CBS and NBC. Why was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Day (September 13) not mentioned? Would they have ignored breast cancer awareness month had the event taken place in October. I really doubt it! Why does Childhood Cancer Awareness and Gold ribbons go largely unrecognized?

2. Please order and wear your Childhood Cancer Awareness Gear! A gold ribbon is a must and is easy to make. Or you can order buttons, t-shirts and more at

www.cafepress.com/teamunite. Also, contact your child's hospital or your local hospitals asking what they are doing in recognition of childhood cancer. Ask if the staff is wearing gold ribbons this month. If not ask them why????

3.

The attached table is a listing of celebrities affected by childhood cancer. This document is a work-in-progress by Team Unite. We are hoping to build upon this list, to include more details and contact information. We'd like to reach out to these individuals and ask that they help us in our efforts to get the word out. If you have contact information for any of these folks or know someone we should add, please email dkillian@teamunite.net. Thank you!

Links for a few media outlets you may contact. Please send to any you feel would benefit our cause! We need to spread the news to get the recognition that children's cancer deserves in September!

Contact your local ABC Affiliate station Contact your local Fox Affiliate stationContact your local NBC Affiliate station Contact your local CBS Affilitate stationCBS email Form ABC email Form NBC Contact FormEllen Oprah CNN

Just follow this letter:

Hello,
My name is ____________________ and I am a part of a grass roots effort to raise awareness and secure funding for Childhood Cancer Research. Julian Avery who Forest W. spoke about on Stand Up 2 Cancer is a member of Team Unite. Team Unite arose from the Henry Tucker CaringBridge site and is comprised of nationwide volunteers from families impacted by the devastating diagnosis of a child with cancer. Team Unite also consists of friends of these families, as well as conglomeration of concerned citizens. The result is a genuine grassroots effort with the purpose of raising awareness and securing funding to bring an end to childhood cancer!

Thank you for bringing awareness to Childhood Cancer and for your segment on our brave angel warrior King Julian. My question to you: why was there no mention of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness month? The fact that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and that Gold Ribbons are the symbol of this goes largely unrecognized. Please help make sure that everyone is aware of this fact and that the 13th of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Day! Just visiting the cancer unit of your local Children's Hospital will inspire you and change your life. These brave young warriors deserve our support and more importantly, they've earned it!

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Please report and raise awareness and ask that people do something special for the kids not just in September but EVERDAY!!! Every year cancer kills more young people between 1 and 20 years of age than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS, combined yet in the past 20 years only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use. In addition, only 3 percent of the budget of the National Cancer Institute goes toward childhood cancer research.

My request is that you help get the word out that the gold ribbon is the symbol for Childhood Cancer Awareness and request that each individual consider wearing a gold ribbon in support of the children out there fighting for their lives. We cannot go back and change the past but you do have the power to communicate this to the public and we are asking for your support and help. Thank you!

Sincerely,

[Your name and contact information]

"I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." ~ Martha Washington (1732-1802)

My goal in life right now is that no parent will ever have to hear the words "your child has cancer" and especially "there is no more we can do." Believe me it sucks to hear those words. Believe me this can happen to anyone at anytime. We can say "I could never imagine having a child with cancer" or "I could never imagine having to bury a child." I thought the same thing and guess what...it happened to me. It happened to many of my friends. It happens to anyone. My goal is that we find a cure and if a child get the diagnoses of cancer the next words we hear is "but we can cure this." I am praying for that day and it takes awareness, funding and research. It takes all of us. Be a voice for Sierra and for all her warrior friends. Thanks and God bless you all.