Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

27 Sep Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) is recognized every September by childhood cancer organizations around the world.  With a goal to increase awareness and raise funds for those affected by childhood cancer, the American Childhood Cancer Organization encourages everyone to Go Gold during September in honor and in memory of kids with cancer!

Across America, thousands of courageous children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer each year are facing life-threatening struggles.  They are cared for by loving families, friends, volunteers, and health care teams who band together to support our most vulnerable patients as they face their cancer journey.  During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we honor the young lives taken too soon, as well as the growing number of young cancer survivors, some of whom may face serious health challenges throughout their lifetimes.  We recognize the remarkable progress made in treatment and survivorship, and rededicate ourselves to the development of more effective therapies so that all children have the chance to live long and healthy lives.

Despite the extraordinary advancements medical science has made in recent years, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States — and the leading cause of death by disease for American children between infancy and age 15.  Cancer is cruel and spares no age.  It inflicts an incalculable toll on young patients and their loved ones.  Though improvement has been made in some areas, survival rates for all childhood cancers remain too low.  A growing number of childhood cancer survivors are experiencing longer life expectancies, but far too many continue to face significant long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive effects due to their cancer and treatment.  As a Nation, we must do more to better understand the causes of pediatric cancer, improve treatment, and enhance the lifelong well-being of survivors.

This is Stellan Piggott’s story.  Stellan was diagnosed July 16th, 2018, he had just turned 7 years old the week before.  Diagnosed with Stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and CNS3. His central nervous system was full of cancer cells. They told us he has an 80-85 percent survival rate. There were some very dark days ahead, many days full of fear and not knowing if he will survive. We still live in fear every day, knowing if the monster returns his survival chance is slim. But you would never know by looking at Stellan what he had been through. His treatment was a grueling 2.5 years long, end date was January 2021.

Every 3 minutes parents in the world will hear the words “your child has cancer” lives will be shattered each and every day over and over again.

Stellan was misdiagnosed 5 times before we are figured out what was going on. By then he was Stage 4, and CNS 3. CNS is central nervous system, his CNS was full of cancer cells, the average person has a WBC (white blood count) of less than 5 in their CNS and this is considered normal.

Stellan’s CNS number was 343, one of the highest numbers they had ever seen at Children’s in Dallas.  After 2.5 years of treatment Stellan continues to thrive.  He is always smiling and so happy.  He is now 10 years old and in 4th grade at Light Farms Elementary in Celina, Texas and is obsessed with baseball.- Amanda Piggott

Each year in the U.S., and estimated 15,780 children aged 0-19 are diagnosed with cancer.  Globally there are more than 300,000 children diagnosed with cancer each year.  20% of children with cancer in the U.S. will not survive it.  Cancer remains the #1 cause of death by disease for children in America.

The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) was founded in 1970 by parents of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. As the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated to childhood cancer, ACCO is committed to shaping policy, supporting research, raising awareness, and providing free educational resources to kids with cancer, survivors, and their families. Additionally, ACCO is the sole U.S. member of Childhood Cancer International (CCI) and has helped support more than half a million families over the past 50 years. Help make childhood cancer a national health priority because kids can’t fight cancer alone.