Childhood cancer needs attention, too
Did you know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? The country goes "pink" for breast cancer, as we should, but we forget to even mention the one in 330 children that will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their childhood. Treatment of childhood cancer is one of modern medicine's success stories, but despite increasing 5-year survival rates, one quarter of these children will still die within 5 years of diagnosis. Survivors of childhood cancer pay a high price: they still face an 11 times higher mortality rate than the general population.
My son is one of these children. In October of 2004, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. Thankfully, as we approach the 4-year mark, he is doing well. He finished treatment in January and has just begun first grade. Although not evident to most, effects from his treatments still linger. As his Mom, I will forever be worried about the lasting impact of chemotherapy. Survivors face issues with long-term memory, neuropathy, infertility, hearing loss, heart damage and a host of other side effects, including brain damage. The fear of a relapse or secondary cancer is also never far from our minds.
I sat at my son's soccer game this past weekend and was suddenly overcome with tears. I was crying because I just learned of another family in my neighborhood that is beginning this cancer journey. I cried because my son is finished with treatment and is running and playing soccer with the rest of his friends. There was a time that we were not sure this day would come. I also cried because I observed the difficulty he has running and keeping up with the others as a result of his treatments. Most of the kids on his team will never understand what my son has endured just to be on that that team. He is so proud. Very few know how much just "being normal" means to him.
Cancer is still the leading cause of death by disease in children. So why has it been forgotten? Why aren't we all wearing gold in support of childhood cancer research? Why is childhood cancer one of the most underfunded of all cancers? Why does it receive so little attention?
Childhood cancer is a scary thing for parents to talk about, but someone needs to talk about it. Someone needs to fight for these children and their families. Someone should mention that September is childhood cancer awareness month, don't you think?
Jennifer Wang
Naperville