Go Gold in September

 Today is a special day… “Oh really, you ask. Is it a holiday?” or maybe you think “I can’t remember any special days that fall on September 1.” That’s okay! I am actually thankful you don’t know what September 1 is. That simply means you have not walked in my shoes.

September 1st is not really a holiday. It is not anything I would choose to celebrate. Rather, September 1 marks the 1st day of a month-long remembrance. The month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Now if I had met you in May of 2019, I too would have had no idea that the yellow ribbon stands for childhood cancer. I would have had no idea that September was set aside to bring awareness. I especially would not have had the slightest idea that funding for childhood hovers around the 4% mark. That means 96% of cancer research funding goes toward finding new drugs for adults. Why is that number so high and childhood cancer research so low? I can only imagine that it is because so many adults get cancer that there is more money in treating them.

Do you believe that our children are our future? Do you believe they are worth more than 4%? Can you believe that Millie and her friends received the same drugs that childhood cancer has been treated with for decades. According to the paper “Approved Cancer Drugs for Children” on the FDA website.

“Since 1980, only 4 drugs have been approved for the first instance for use in children.” - Coalition Against Childhood Cancer

“In the last 20 years, only two new drugs have been approved that were specifically developed to treat children with cancer.” – St. Baldricks

“Over the past 20 years, the FDA has approved about 190 new cancer treatments for adults but only three for children.” USA Today

“Since 1980, fewer than 10 drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer. Only three drugs have been approved for use in children. Only four additional new drugs have been approved for use by both adults and children.” - National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

“15 oncology drugs were approved by the FDA for pediatric use between 1948 and 2003.” – Managed Care

“From 1980 to 2017, only 11 drugs (already approved in adults) have been approved to use in children with cancer” - Coalition Against Childhood Cancer

To someone not in the ‘cancer world’ that might seem disheartening. To a parent watching their baby FIGHT for life, it is devastating!

You have heard me say that I believe that Millie lived the plan God had for her. He did not short her one second of her life. He knew before she was born exactly how many days her life held. However, I do believe the toxic drugs used in the fight did steal the time she had left here. It stole the time she felt well enough to play ‘wolfie’ with Little Man. It stole the time she could play outside on her playground. It made her SICK, all while trying to heal her little body. It made her hair fall out. It made her throw up. It caused her explosive diarrhea and horrible diaper rashes. It caused her hearing to fail. It took her appetite and weakened her body. It potentially could have damaged her other organs or even have caused a secondary type of cancer. These ‘miracle’ drugs need to be updated.

Now what can be done? First GO GOLD for the month. Put a filter around your FB profile showing you support our kids. Support a non-profit that helps these kids out. Organize a fundraiser to benefit the kids. Lobby your congressman for greater funding. Get involved! It doesn’t impact you much… until it does. Once it is your child, your grandchild, your niece or nephew, your neighbor or friend, then it starts to hit close to home. Suddenly everyone you know is fighting cancer. Do you realize most of Millie’s friends were cancer kids? She even thought her nurses had cancer… “or why else would they have been on the 10th floor?”

Did you know that Millie’s first and only date she will ever go on was with a sweet little boy named Ben? #BenBrave was her next-door hospital neighbor and playmate. They went on a doughnut date in the cafeteria together.

Did you know the week before Millie died that she hosted a tea-party with her sweet cancer fighter friend,

The journey of Leavyn Laine - Our Little Braveheart

Levy? To see their sweet bald heads bent over miniature teacups with sugar cubes was to see to friends connecting, while walking through their own fight.

Did you know that Millie prayed every night for her friend Ruby who she never met, yet she understood was a fighter like herself?

Did you know that she enjoyed trying to tempt her sweet friend #Adystrong with doughnuts when she had no appetite, yet so desperately needed to eat?

Did you know that to Millie having cancer was “NORMAL”? That is not how it should be….

……We can do better for the future generation.