I'm shaving my head to raise money for childhood cancer research! Did you know that kids' cancers are different from adult cancers? It's true. And childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So I decided to do something about it by raising money for cures. I am shaving in honour of my little sister Hannah who has been bravely battling an aggressive brain tumour for the past two years. In July 2012, age 4, Hannah was diagnosed with anaplastic medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer; following 22 months of treatment and 13 rounds of chemotherapy Hannah’s tumors have disappeared and today she has been declared “cancer free”. It’s wonderful news, isn’t it? However, the harsh reality for my family is that Hannah has a 5% chance of surviving the next five years and in the highly probable event of relapse there are no known successful medical trials for them to follow. Treatment has come at a huge price for Hannah; the radiation has caused her brain to shrink, making control of all voluntary movements very challenging. As a result Hannah, is disorientated when standing and needs full support to perform any motor functions we all take for granted, like walking. The chemotherapy has caused hearing loss and nerve damage, which is now affecting her basic bodily functions. Without vital cancer research funded by organizations like St Baldrick’s, Hannah and kids like her will not survive. For Hannah, like many other survivors of childhood cancers, living with lifelong disabilities is the harsh reality of the side effects of current treatments. Despite her difficulties Hannah lives each day to the fullest and fills her world and the world of those around her with smiles and infectious giggles. Her thirst for knowledge and life is truly an inspiration. St Baldrick’s is a wonderful organisation which provides research grants to Doctors and Scientists around the world to find treatments and cures for childhood cancers. Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every penny makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults around the world fighting childhood cancers.