Donna’s Day for Childhood Cancer
The thing that my instructor made sure we all understood as pediatric nursing students was this ONE fact…
Children are not little adults especially when they are sick.
We must treat them differently.
I have never forgotten this
It is why I support
St Baldrick’s raises money to fund research for Kids Cancer!
Research that is key to curing kids cancer.
Treatments for kids should be specialized for kids. Just imagine if this were the case, 30% more kids would survive.
That is a reason alone to search for specific treatments for kids. If it were a child of yours, you would want those treatments.
When a kid gets cancer, it may be in the white blood cells, in the nervous system, in the brain or bones, in the lymphatic system, muscles or kidneys.It happens to be that, (ALL), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.
In the 1950s, almost all kids diagnosed with cancer died.
Because of research,
today about 90% of kids with the most common type of cancer will live. But for many other types, progress has been limited, and for some kids there is still little hope for a cure.
In the early 70’s as a student nurse, I took care of Jeffrey, a little boy with ALL. He was hospitalized at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC.
Jeffrey received state of the art treatment for ALL in 1971, which was chemotherapy. Despite treatment at one of the finest pediatric centers Jeffrey died at age four, leaving his dad, mom and younger sister brokenhearted.
Today, I can’t help but think as I write this post, little Jeffrey would have survived with a long term remission or even a cure. I am hopeful that we can provide remissions and cures for other kids’ cancers. I would like to see no more kids die like sweet little Donna and Jeffrey.
There are very specific differences between adult and kids cancer:
- Adult cancers can be diagnosed early where kids cancers have already spread by the time diagnosis is made.
- Some cancers never strike after the age of 5.
- Other cancers occur most often in teenagers.
- There are over a dozen types of childhood cancers and countless subtypes.
About 60% of all funding for drug development in adult cancers comes from pharmaceutical companies.
For kids? Almost none, because childhood cancer drugs are not profitable.
Sad but true, it is about profits!
In Chicago we’re having a St. Baldrick’s Event to raise money to fund research in hopes that one day no child will have to fight cancer.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.
You can be involved by donating, signing up to be a participant, fundraising, volunteering, and attending.
Join us on the event day to celebrate Donna’s spirit, meet Mary Tyler Mom and family, and gather with others who have been truly touched by their little girl’s story. We look forward to your participation this year.
Won’t you join us?
Source: Donna’s Good Things at Candlelite Chicago | A St. Baldrick’s Event
