On today's show, Adrian and Ethan talk about childhood cancer which remains the leading cause of death by disease for children. Later they highlight some incredible kids making a difference.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international awareness month to raise support, funding and awareness of childhood cancers and its impact on kids and their families.
Every year, 300,000 families around the world will hear, “Your child has cancer.”
Across all ages, ethnic groups and socio-economics, this disease remains the number one cause of death by disease in children. More than 95% of childhood cancer survivors have significant treatment-related health issues.
Childhood cancers make up less than 1 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society. That 1 percent is not much of a market for drug makers, who rack up an estimated $1.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs while bringing a novel drug to market.
In 2 decades, only four new drugs have been approved by the FDA specifically for childhood cancer. 1/2 of all chemotherapies used for children’s cancers are over 25 years old.
Only a very small percentage of the billions of dollars the government spends annually on cancer research is directed towards treating childhood cancer.
We can always count on kids wanting to help those less fortunate…
1. This 11-Year-Old Sells Cups of Lemonade to Buy Diapers for Single Moms
11-year old Cartier Carey, from Hampton, Virginia, is working hard to provide relief for single mothers one cup of lemonade at a time…raising money to buy diapers, wipes and other supplies for local single mothers in need.
He says that he wanted to lessen the burdens that Covid-19 has put on families. "I wanted to help mothers who were struggling."
So far, the lemonade stand has yielded $7,500 — enough to purchase approximately 27,500 diapers.
And earlier this year, Cartier created care packages called "Carti Packs," filled with deodorant, soap and tissues to give to the homeless population.
But that’s not all for this young man. He has always been involved in his community. A year ago, Cartier launched his own nonprofit organization called Kids 4 Change 757, which, through initiatives like the care packages and lemonade stand, encourages children to get involved and support communities in need. It is funded by donations.
2. First Grader Turns Her Dream of Feeding Homeless People into Reality –By Launching Her Own Foundation
Paris Williams is six years old. This little girl is driven by a mission to help others who are less fortunate. She’s even launched her own nonprofit foundation, Paris Cares, to feed the homeless in St. Louis.
Paris was inspired by the book One Boy’s Magic by Cari Chadwick Deal. "I wanted to give something to the homeless,” Paris explained, “like the boy in the book."
Paris and her mom came up with the idea of "care packages". These packages are filled with a variety of items including drinks, food, and other essential items that the homeless need. So far, along with the help of her family, Paris has delivered over 500 care packages containing food and other essentials to downtown St. Louis’s homeless, as well as handing out approximately 250 meals to essential workers. (through non-contact drop-off).
