Yes, you heard it right!! I am shaving my head to raise money for childhood cancer research!! In September 2011 I will Shave for the Brave...and Fight for Jaxon!!!
On July 31,2007 my then 2 1/2 year old son Jaxon was diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 hepatoblastoma. This very rare one in a million cancer changed my son's life, my life, and my family's life in ways that I didn't know was possible. Jaxon was pumped full of toxic chemotherapy just to keep him alive, however this life saving potion also caused life-altering side effects: profound hearing loss, chronic kidney damage that will result in a kidney transplant, learning delays, speech difficulties, and physical issues. Though I was aware of childhood cancer before it affected our family, it took my son's fight to make me an advocate. Now I want to do anything I can to let cancer know we won't take it lying down. I don't want any more families to hear a doctor say, "your child has cancer."
Did you know:
#1 - Childhood cancer is the #1 killer disease of our children, more than from asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS combined?
#2 - 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20?
#3 - Each year 3,000 children die and 40,000 are in treatment.
#4 - The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer 7%; while all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined less than 3%!
#5 - Childhood cancer has a huge societal impact - 180,000 potential years of life are lost to it EVERY year! And 60% of survivors face long term health issues!
And, please help me raise awareness of childhood cancer and the need for pediatric-specific research. You can learn more about the issue at People Against Childhood Cancer (http://curechildhoodcancer.ning.com). St. Baldrick's is a member of this community that is made up of individuals and foundations who wish to advocate for childhood cancer awareness. Awareness leads to funding, which leads to research, which leads to cures.
Too many of our friends have lost their lives to childhood cancer and I am ready to stand up and fight for more options for our children's treatment..and one day, hopefully no parent will have to hear the words that I hear on July 31, 2007..."Your child has cancer."
Please make a difference and help me in this fight....
