Monday, October 13, 2008

30-40,000 Children

My niece, Emily, is battling cancer, and her mom sent this information about childhood cancer:

Every day 46 children in this country will be diagnosed with cancer. That is two classrooms full.

Every four hours a child will die from pediatric cancer. We have known several who fought bravely but did not survive.

The average age of a child being diagnosed is 6; the average age for an adult is 66. Emily was a few months shy of her 10th birthday.

Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease for our children. It kills more children than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and pediatric AIDS combined.

Pediatric cancer is cured about 75% of the time. That means one out of four children diagnosed will lose their battle.

It has been 20 years since any new pediatric cancer drug has been approved.

Currently there are between 30-40,000 children being treated for cancer.

Only about 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that the disease has spread to distant sites on the body at diagnosis yet 80% of children are diagnosed with advanced disease. Emily was one of them.

By 2010 one in every two hundred teens and adolescents will be a cancer survivor.

Most children are treated with smaller doses of adult drugs.

Due to the toll of the currently available therapies on their growing bodies, three out of every five children who survive cancer will be diagnosed with another cancer, a chronic illness or another life threatening illness before they are adults.

So I would love for everyone to stop and think of all the children who are courageously fighting this disease and the ones who earned their wings who fought so hard against this ugly beast.

God bless,
Debbie

My niece has come with her mom and dad to a hospital near us to begin a new drug trial this week. Please pray for her.

13 comments:

  1. Sara, so sorry to hear this. Prayers ascending.

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  2. I admire the mother's courageous, giving spirit. How truly remarkable, that she'd try to enlighten others during what has to be one of her darkest hours.

    I will keep your niece (and her loved ones) in my prayers.


    xo,
    Melodye

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  3. I'll be thinking of and praying for Emily every day. Please keep us posted about how the trial goes. And Hugs to the whole family!

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  4. Oh, Sara.
    Lighting a candle...

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  5. I found your blog while site surfing. My son had cancer at age 2, but now is thankfully in remission. We will pray for Emily and her family as they continue the fight.

    Hugs,
    Susan
    www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacobralston

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  6. Sara,
    Thank you for sharing this important information. My heart and prayers go out to your niece and your whole family. May she recover quickly, painlessly, and with love and peace.

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  7. Sara, I'm sure everyone would agree that Pediatric Cancer is a parent's worst nightmare.

    Please send my prayers on to Emily and her family.

    This issue should be one of the most important in the medical field today. Yet many, many children are forgetten as they bravely fight for their lives. Its so sad.

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  8. My heart goes out to Emily and to all your family.
    Sending blessings and love to them all.
    This is such a tough one, one is rendered speechless.

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  9. So sorry to hear this, Sara. My thoughts are with Emily and your whole family.

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  10. Thank you all so much for your support. Emily is a fighter---no doubt about that. And she has wonderful parents who love her and advocate for her with great strength.

    I'm hoping and praying for extraordinary results to match their devotion and courage.

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  11. Oh my oh my oh my: "Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease for our children." I had no idea. And I dunno, I had always assumed your niece was diagnosed at a younger age. But almost age ten? God, that had to be hard. Not as if any age is easy, I'm sure.

    I just can't even imagine how hard this is for your brother and his wife, too.

    I also hope and wish and pray in my bumbly way for extraordinary results, as you put it. My best to your brother and his wife and your entire family.

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  12. Oh, Sara. My thoughts and prayers are with your niece and your family.

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  13. Sara I am so sorry your family has this struggle. I'll be praying for you all.

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