Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Photoessay

September 26, 2008 12:26 PM

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

More Information

Parent Organization Homepage.

Previously Photos for this story were moved to Here.

posted by Lord_Pall (7 comments total)

Thanks for this. And, I don't mean to be a dick by pointing this out, but it's September 26, which leaves me 4 days to stuff a month's full of awareness in! With that in mind, here are some of October's Awareness Month Themes.
posted by not_on_display at 1:36 PM on September 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Grace Webster
posted by iamabot at 1:55 PM on September 26, 2008

Well that's annoying. Damn you nytimes.
posted by iamabot at 1:56 PM on September 26, 2008

Those photos brought tears to my eyes. It's so hard to figure out the right thing to say but I just feel I need to say something. All of the children are just so beautiful and the families so generous for sharing these images. I hope so much that those who are still fighting will make it. For those children that didn't

.
posted by hazyjane at 2:24 PM on September 26, 2008

My neice had neuroblastoma-- stage 4 cancer with tumors in her abdomen and brain-- diagnosed just before turning 2. Eight rounds of chemo over a year, and she's now NED-- no evidence of disease. When I learned about the lack of funding for reasearch, I was appalled, and started trying to help people become aware of the facts:

· One in every 330 children will develop cancer by the age of 20.


· Each school day, 46 kids are diagnosed with cancer.


· 25% of children diagnosed with cancer die with five years of their diagnosis. Those that survive often have to deal with the life long effects of their treatment which commonly include things like hearing loss, infertility and/or stunted growth.


· Cancer is the number one disease killer of children in the United States and kills more children than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and pediatric AIDS combined.


· Funding for pediatric cancer research is not a national priority. The National Cancer Institute allocates less than 5% of its annual budget to research on pediatric cancer. The percentage is even lower for the American Cancer Society. Drug companies don’t fund pediatric cancer research because it’s not a money-making proposition.

So, while the pictures hit you in one spot, let the numbers affect you as well. My suggestions on where to send a donation (and I do not work for nor profit in any way from any of these organizations):


a. Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation

b. Alex’s Lemonade Stand

c. Children’s Cancer Research Fund

d. CureSearch

And does anyone know Oprah? We've been trying to get her attention for years-- if she can sell books and make sure dogs are neutered, she could also tell parents what to look for and increase early detection, not to mention help direct funds toward the cures we need.

Enough... sorry for the preach.
posted by Arch1 at 8:07 PM on September 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

Next time, if you want a lot of comments in your thread? Maybe don't make it about child cancer. :D

Seriously, though. Good job here. Cancer... is insane.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:54 AM on September 27, 2008

As a survivor of childhood cancer, I thank you. I'd never heard of this month being any sort of "Awareness" month, much less for something that's so personal.
posted by seldom seen cid at 10:11 AM on September 27, 2008