WHY THIS BLOG
Ronan Philip Bissonette was born in San Francisco on December 19, 2010.  His brother Elliot was born 20 months later. They have been best of friends ever since. On May 3, 2021 Ronan was rushed to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Pediatric ICU and, shortly thereafter, diagnosed with Stage IV Burkitt Lymphoma. He was in the Pediatric ICU for 10 days battling acute Tumor Lysis Syndrome, followed by another ~6 months on the Pediatric Hematology Oncology floor undergoing chemotherapy and procedures. This is the story of a child fighting cancer and all it has taught us as a family, including resources to help other caregivers. I hope it inspires you to find more joy in each day, hug your loved ones a little tighter, and maybe even join the fight to save future generations from the pain and suffering no child should endure (some impactful organizations highlighted below). Drop me a note with your thoughts!
CHILDHOOD CANCER STATS
CANCER IS THE LEADING DISEASE-RELATED CAUSE OF DEATH BY DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN
The average number of years of life lost to childhood cancer is 71 (versus 15 for adult cancer).
Curing childhood cancer is the equivalent of curing breast cancer in terms of productive life years saved.
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>95% of childhood cancer survivors experience significant health issues by the age of 45 due to current treatment options.
1 IN 260 CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER BEFORE THE AGE OF 20
Every day, 42 families in the US learn that their child has cancer. That adds to 17,000 children in the US each year.
Globally, 400,000+ new cases of cancer affect children under the age of 20. That means a child is diagnosed with cancer every 80 seconds.
And 44% of childhood cancer cases worldwide are never diagnosed.
1 OUT OF 6 CHILDREN WITH CANCER IN AMERICAÂ DO NOT SURVIVE FIVE YEARS.
Only 6 new drugs have been approved exclusively for childhood cancer in the past 3 decades.
Only 4% of the government-funded cancer research is directed toward childhood cancers. ~60% of funding for cancer drug development comes from pharma companies but almost none for childhood cancers due to profitability.
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On average, clinical trials for children begin 6.5 years after adult trials.
ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT
As the American Cancer Society's childhood cancer initiative, Gold Together empowers individuals to raise funds that directly support research, advocacy, and patient support dedicated to childhood cancer. Join Gold Together and you’ll be joining a community of survivors, volunteers, and supporters who believe that the future can be free from childhood cancer.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
NCCS’ mission is to advocate for quality cancer care for all people touched by cancer. Founded by and for cancer survivors, NCCS created the widely accepted definition of survivorship and defines someone as a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life.
NCCS has worked with legislators and policy makers to represent cancer patients and survivors in efforts to improve their quality of care and quality of life after diagnosis. Our unique niche in the cancer advocacy landscape is promoting policy change to ensure quality cancer care. Our vision is to be an advocacy organization that reflects the needs of all cancer survivors to effect policy change at the national level.
B+ Foundation
The B+ Foundation is about Kids Helping Kids Fight Cancer — raising money through dance marathons, 5Ks, T-shirt sales and more, to provide financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer nationwide. The B+ Foundation also funds critical, cutting-edge childhood cancer research.
Alex's Lemonade Stand
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is changing the lives of children with cancer by funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.
American Childhood Cancer Organization
The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) was founded in 1970 by parents of children diagnosed with cancer. Formerly known as Candlelighters, ACCO is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated to childhood cancer.