Dear Friends,
We are writing to you on behalf of the children and families who benefit from The Children’s Cancer Fund (CCF). The CCF, a 501c3, supports a nationally recognized research lab at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital led by Dr. Mitchell Cairo. This lab has contributed to groundbreaking discoveries in childhood cancer and blood diseases and has transformed the way children are treated all over the world.
This year, Covid-19 has taken many things from our daily lives; our ability to go to work and school. We have been told not to leave our homes; not to see family or travel. Our kids could not even do the simplest things like play sports or be outside with their friends. We have literally been fearing death and been stripped of our lives as we know them. The anxiety and stress this has put on our hearts has been unfathomable. The ability to control our lives and keep our children safe has been taken from us.
Sadly, children and families with pediatric cancer and blood diseases experience these devastating fears every day... with or without COVID-19. Unfortunately, our families are one of “those” families. Long before this pandemic, we all wore masks, we obsessively used hand sanitizer and wiped down everything with Lysol to keep our kids safe. The agony of having a child with cancer is already the heaviest burden to bear, but to fear COVID on top of cancer is unimaginable.
Cancer has not stopped because of COVID-19. Every three minutes a child somewhere continues to be diagnosed with cancer and blood diseases. COVID-19 may have paused our ability to fundraise in the traditional manner. A gala, a golf outing, and other fundraising sporting events will not happen this year. This does not mean that we can stop fundraising! Cancer will not stop! We need your help! Now more than ever we need to raise money to keep research moving forward.
The CCF has committed to funding a lifesaving $200,000 this year alone for Childhood Cancer research. One hundred percent of all donations go directly to the development of cutting-edge therapeutic strategies like Dr. Cairo’s work on circumventing cancers resistance to traditional treatment. However, more research is needed and more funding is urgently necessary. Without it, these doctors do not have the ability to find a cure for this evil disease which is robbing us of precious young lives. Lives of children right in our own community.
You may have never been affected by Childhood Cancer. We were not either. Until We Were. As mothers, we cannot stand by and do nothing... we need to stand up and fight for kids! We are counting on you again this year to stand with us and fight for the lives of our children!
With Appreciation from Mothers of Children with Cancer,
Deirdre McManus, Mom to Danny
Jenna Valcich, Mom to Nate
Mothers of Danny & Nate