My first expreience with pediatric cancer was in nursing school.  A little girl with osteosarcoma in her leg chased me around, shot me with squirt guns and vexed me in my all important first clinical of the year. When she fell asleep, you could see how small, frail and vulnerable she really was.  To stay a kid in such circumstances was truly amazing.  That was 22 years ago and I remember it like yesterday. 

My next experience would be with Laurie.  Our town does not have a designated pediatric hospital and being that she was a teen, Laurie came to the adult oncology unit for her treatments for Ewings Sarcoma.  We saw how stretched her family was with commuting to the hospital and with the rest of life, so we became her family away from home.   We went through teenage attitude and angst, rebellion and coping with how this just wasn't fair.  Laurie made it through her first cancer only to develop leukemia from the treatments and die from it.  Her passing broke my heart.  

Losing even one child to cancer is unacceptable.   There are so many resources and amazing minds out there and disease management or cure is so close.  

Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.