Fighting Childhood Cancer this Summer



I wasn't really sure how I wanted to start this post. As I've been pondering it for a few days a couple things came across my Facebook newsfeed. Two prayer requests from friends on facebook came up asking for prayers for their friends' young children in which one, a little girl about Averi's age was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and the other was for a friend's son who was just praying for comfort for him and his family as he passed from this world to next from his battle with pediatric cancer. I don't know these people personally, but it doesn't stop my heart from breaking for them.

According the National Cancer Institute, in 2014 alone almost 16,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer. Almost 2,000 will die from cancer this year. Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children.

According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization childhood cancer is vastly underfunded with somewhere between $30-$180  million going towards childhood cancer research while breast cancer research gets a little less than $600 million. The American Childhood Cancer Organization contributes this vast difference to the pink ribbon campaign. The success of the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer has resulted in an increase in the five year survival rate for this group, which is great. This goes to show how raising awareness and advocating for something can make a difference, but now we need to do this for childhood cancer too. The yellow ribbon is the childhood cancer awareness ribbon, and even though I am only one small blogger, one small mom, I hope you'll help me in making a big statement about spreading the word that we need to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer.

None of us want to hear those dreaded words, "Your child has cancer." There isn't much in life to me that is scarier than that.

Kori Quinn was a thirteen year old girl when she was diagnosed with cancer. As a child herself fighting a horrific disease none of us at any age should have to face, she started an organization called the I ROK Foundation to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer. As the Quinn family explains on their Contact Page,

 "Kori came up with the idea that I-ROK, which is her name spelled backwards,  could also mean "Imagine getting Rid Of Kancer". We know kancer is not spelled correctly, but kancer is a word that no one should know how to spell. We love this idea Kori thought of as it is the basis for our foundation.
The I-ROK Foundation was formed to bring awareness to Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of childhood cancer; to save lives; empower people; to find cures; and to help people and organizations in a variety of ways as they battle cancer. Through events like an annual 5K Run and generous contributions from our partners, sponsors, and supporters, we dare to "Imagine getting Rid Of Kancer."

Her organization I ROK is the first charity I am donating 20% of the sales from Moms, Monsters, Media & Margaritas. At the end of July from the print book sales as that's all that have been reported to me at this time I will be donating $75. However,  a week ago I also published a post on Time with A & N in which I asked for every reader of A & N to donate $5. I am not sure how many granted my request but I do know with my readers' help we broke over $100 for July to donate to the I ROK Foundation.

Several others parents and aunts joined the fight against pediatric cancer in July by donating a portion of their business's commission to the I ROK Foundation.

Kristin and Zac Ganzer of Beachbody Fitness and Products @ www.beachbodycoach.com/kristinganzer donated $245 each

Misty Eales of BeachBody Fitness and Products @ www.beachbodycoach.com/gettinfitwithme also donated $50 for a grand total of over $500 for this Beachbody family.

Tammy Williams Gragg of Casa Bella Salon of Blue Springs, MO also donated $50 from her July tips.

I know our little individual amounts may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things but every little bit counts.None of us want to hear that our child, our niece or nephew, grandson or granddaughter has cancer. We all want our children to live a healthy childhood. Never think it's not your fight though, that there's nothing you can do. There is always something we can do. Pray, spread the word with awareness, donate your time or money however little it even is. You can make a difference in this fight.

As I said before I will be making one more donation with 20% of my Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook sales and Leslea McKillip of Pink Zebra Home Fragances is donating 15% of her August sales to the I ROK Foundation. We would love to have another partner or two for August that would love to give to the I ROK Foundation in their pursuit to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer.

Again if you are a regular A & N reader and didn't make your $5 donation the other day I hope you can grant my request today by visiting the I ROK Foundation Page and following the donation button. You can join the fight against pediatric cancer. You can pray. You can donate. You can support PACI partners or become one yourself by donating a little of your commissions for a month. You can help spread the word. There is always something we can do. This is everyone's fight.