Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

This month we are GOING GOLD for Childhood Cancer!

I want to tell you a little bit about our WHY.  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and the color that represents childhood cancer is gold. “Our Children are more precious than gold” is the motto some use.   That is the truth.  We didn’t know much about Childhood Cancer until our beautiful, energetic son, Reid, was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 27 months.  Our #BraverREID bravely fought Medulloblastoma for over three years. Reid passed away from this terrible disease in October of 2020 and although we miss him so much, we know it is now our job to continue his fight.  Children cannot advocate for themselves.  We started the Rally for Reid foundation shortly after his passing with the mission of helping other families in situations like ours, and raising money for childhood cancer research.

Sweet Reid fighting cancer with a smile

We wanted to share some statistics with you this month: 

• 1 in 285 kids will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20.  Yet, the National Institute of Health provides only 4% of its annual cancer budget to Childhood Cancer research.  The other 96% goes to adult cancers.  
• Of that 4% of federal funding, only 1% of that research money goes to childhood brain tumors. 
• Brain tumors are the deadliest form of pediatric cancer.
• Not a single drug has ever been developed to treat pediatric brain tumors.   

Our children are worth more than 4%.  Our kids with brain tumors are worth more than 1%.  Our goal at Rally for Reid is to help make changes to these devastating statistics.  We are planning to make $25,000 donations to both The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium as well as the Children’s Brain Tumor Network before the end of 2021.  These wonderful organizations are collecting and sharing data about brain tumors, and working towards pushing out clinical trials as quickly and efficiently as possible to find more cures for children.

What can you do this September?  You can share our statistics.  You can donate life-saving blood products.  These childhood cancer warriors need them to survive.  You can call your local hospital or Ronald McDonald House and ask what supplies they need.  You can reach out to a local family fighting pediatric cancer and send them a gas or meal giftcard or offer to do some chores for them.  You can make a donation to a childhood cancer organization.  There are so many ways to be involved and do something.  Want another idea?  We are doing a virtual Run for Reid 5k September 24-26th.  It’s free and the only requirement is to wear gold and get moving.  Sign up here: Run for Reid 5k

Our children are worth more than 4%.

Sending love,
Megan & The Rally for Reid Team