Join the “Others”
Today marks the end of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the gold will bleed into pink, and many won’t give these kids another thought until next September: how sad is that?!
There is a group of us referred to as the “others”.
We are the ones who can not, will not put away the cause simply because today is 9/30.
We are the ones who believe we can, and so we will.
Fact: We are not curing everyone.
Fact: We are curing many.
Fact: Cure necessarily creates a responsibility with regard to survivorship.
Fact: We need innovative, less toxic, effective, and durable therapies that target cancer cells and leave normal cells, tissues, and vital organs alone.
Fact: Said therapies are the result of research and development which takes more than 4% of the NCI’s total budget.
Fact: Current therapies are providing cures and the numbers of survivors grows every day.
Fact: >95% of childhood cancer survivors will have at least one chronic health condition by the time they are 45.
Fact: <25% of survivors can give an accurate detailed treatment history making treatment-related risk difficult to assess.
Fact: Effective management of late effects MUST be funded; otherwise, we are remiss at best.
Fact: Cure is not enough.
Join us, won’t you?
Simply
Stephie!
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