Pediatric Cancer: Who Will Look for a Cure?

Cancer is the number one cause of non-accidental death in children.  Approximately 46 U.S. children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single day; that's more than 12,000 infants and children every year. Cancer does not discriminate. It can strike anyone at any time.

September marks Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, a month aimed at increasing awareness of childhood cancers.

There are many faces of childhood cancer.    One of those faces,  Sam Bish a spunky and smart 8 year old from Reynoldsburg fought an adult disease.  Sam experienced strange pain in his legs that  doctors diagnosed as an aggressive form of cancer called osteosarcoma. Chemotherapy treatments started a eight days later.

"He was diagnosed August 10, 2009, and our life was forever changed that day," said his mother Cindy Bish.

Following above-the-knee amputation of his right leg at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus Ohio, Sam continued to look forward with courage aware of the cancer still in his lungs and spine. 

Mike, Sam's Dad said, "Of course we ask (why did this happen to their son). Now were looking to to see what the blessing is behind it.  God's used him as a tool for a lot of people."

After a brief reprieve, Sam Bish lost his battle with cancer last month, just one year after being diagnosed.

The mission of the  Pediatric Cancer Foundation (PCF) since it's inception in 1970 has been to find a cure for childhood cancer. This non-profit charity raises money for research, state of the art equipment/instruments and parent/patient care for world renowned doctors at these PCF supported hospitals

    * Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian
    * The Hassenfeld Children’s Center at NYU Medical Center
    * Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
    * The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York
    * Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center

PCF receives NO government funding.  PCF receives NO funding from pharmaceutical companies.  Since 1970, over 90% of every dollar raised/donated by PCF supports their mission to eradicate children's cancer.

Mom Regina Carey, a registered nurse and mother of 3 wonderful children, remembers praying that her children would never be faced with a life threatening illness.  Unfortunately, sometimes we must face what we once feared.

Carey goes on, "there is nothing worse than having to see your child suffer the pains of cancer; unfortunately, I can say this from experience.  My daughter Alyssa is now 15 and healthy, but she had cancer, a malignant brain tumor (medulloblastoma) when she was just 8 years old. She has been through 2 brain surgeries, 8 weeks of radiation, a year of chemotherapy, and such sufferings that no child should ever have to endure."

Carey adds, "the reality is that childhood cancers do exist and we just can't sit back and say, "thank God it is not my child", or "thank God she or he is done with their treatment and is in remission".   Wanting to find a way to 'give back', to volunteer for a worthy cause, Carey remembers being involved in a PCF walkathon while her daughter Alyssa was still in treatment.

"This is a foundation of the most caring and sincere people you can ever come across; their efforts and determination are endless and this is their success! We are so honored to be a small part of this organization for its efforts are providing much needed funding for pediatric cancer research," Carey says.

Jessica J. Kandel, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, Institute for Caner Genetics, Columbia University said, "Because of our partnership with PCF, the Pediatric Tumor Biology Laboratory at Columbia has achieved a lot of firsts over the last decade, making new models of children’s tumors and then finding new ways to treat them. We would not exist without you... and children’s cancer treatment would be that much further behind. Here’s to the next ten years, and to getting closer to our ultimate goal: the cure."

No child and their family should have to suffer the horror, pain and despair of pediatric cancer. The eradication of this devastating disease depends on groups such as PCF and the generosity of people like you. Please join us as we ...hold the hand of a child.