Because of research supported by people like you, the 5-year survival rate for childhood cancers has improved — from about 79% when we began 20 years ago, to almost 85% today.
But 5-year survival isn’t the same as a cure.
Many kids — like Harley — die after the 5-year mark. And 5 years isn’t enough.
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Harley was 5 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that eventually made him go blind. Through more than 5 years of chemotherapy and surgery, Harley looked at the positive side of everything.
And he was one determined dude.
He set a goal to visit every state by the time he was 10. One week before he turned 11, he crossed the finish line at Four Corners, where Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado meet.
He was a straight A student, mainstreamed in school. He learned Braille — even in music, along with 8 musical instruments — and was a Braille champion at the regional and national levels.
Whether sharing his musical talent, jokes, or his friendly spirit, Harley brightened every room he entered.
“The very year Harley was declared a 5-year survivor, he was diagnosed with a rare syndrome, which later became acute myeloid leukemia,” his mother Beth says. Secondary cancers are a big threat for survivors of childhood cancer.
“After going through something as harsh as a bone marrow transplant is,” says Beth, “you should expect to live longer than just 5 years. You don’t walk through hell and back to only live 5 years.”
Harley still managed to graduate from high school with honors and had big plans to attend Texas A&M University and then change the world for both blind and sighted people, using nanotechnology.
“It’s now been 4 years since Harley died while attempting a bone marrow transplant,” says Beth.
Remember that 5-year survival rate of almost 85%? It counts Harley. He lived more than 5 years, but it wasn’t enough. We need to give kids like Harley a lifetime.
Your gifts to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation not only fund research to find cures for kids like Harley, but also to reduce the risks of life-threatening issues faced by most survivors.
Amidst all the uncertainty of these times, one thing is still certain, kids are diagnosed with cancer every day.
Please give to support childhood cancer research, so one day kids like Harley will live not just to age 18, but to 81 and beyond.
