Partners in Hope

Every year for 2 days Channel 99.5 WYCD does a Radio-thon to raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital. This directly translates into 2 days of me crying from listening to the various stories from parents who's child has fought against Childhood Cancer. Some have survived, and some have not. To listen to these stories is heart-breaking. People don't give children enough credit. They are amazing little people. These small heroes fight courageously, guiding their parents along on the journey showing them that despite what they are going through they can still find joy in each day. The Radio-thon ended at 7pm on December 9th, raising over $454,000 in just 48 hours.

On Friday, December 9th 2011, Mark and I became Partners in Hope for St. Jude's. I am sooo excited about this. It is only $25 a month and will be the best $25 spent. I will gladly give up stopping for coffees and some lunches for this worthy cause.

"Worthy" doesn't begin to describe St. Jude's. It costs $1.7 million daily to operate. The families St. Jude's treats never receive a bill. Ever. They are amazing in the work they do, caring for each patient. Their goal is so some day no child has to experience this beast called Cancer. I am thrilled to be even just a small part of this. As time goes by and I learn more things I hope to become even more involved with raising money and even visiting a St. Jude's facility.

On Saturday I read an article, Pink Is Not the Only Color of the Rainbow, written by a father who lost his child to a Pediatric Cancer. I have said a few times now I will always be a supporter of Breast Cancer, having 2 survivors in my own family, but with the amount of attention Breast Cancer receives, I feel it has become a novelty. Please don't misunderstand, I do not make light of it because women still die from it. It is still Cancer and Cancer is still a Beast, no matter where it attacks. But as this article states, September is Childhood Cancer awareness month, followed with Breast Cancer Awareness in October. It seems we barely get into September before you start seeing Pink everywhere you turn.

"The funding estimates do not lie in terms of which causes receive the most federal dollars. Childhood cancer is low on the totem pole. Twelve percent of the budget for the National Cancer Institute goes to breast cancer research, while only three percent is dedicated to childhood cancers, of which there are hundreds of types. There are "fifteen children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer." It is a fight for a share in a very segmented marketplace. And yet, when childhood cancer is given its due, i.e. the month of September, it does not even get the full days of the calender before being forced from the marketplace by pink."

The statistics are stunning when it comes to Pediatric Cancer. Please take a moment to read and share this article. My passion and goal is to raise more awareness. If I can reach and raise awareness through just 5 people, inspiring them to become more involved, I will have succeeded.