My Team Kaela Teammates and I will be shaving our heads to stand in solidarity to support children fighting childhood cancer and brain tumors on 4/20/2012. You may know that my own daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2011. She was 12 years old at the time. She has had two brain surgeries and continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments to date. She will be 14 this month and has been an inspiration. She is not the only child to inspire me! Just make a visit to Duke Children's Hospital and you will see amazing courage! We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another. When a child is diagnosed, it is especially heart wrenching. Here is the challenge that is before us...
Two-thirds of children treated for childhood cancer will suffer long-term effects from treatment including loss of hearing and sight, heart disease, secondary cancers, learning disabilities, infertility and more.
Childhood cancer isn't just one disease—there are over a dozen types of childhood cancer and countless subtypes, each requiring specific research to develop the best treatment for every child. But in the last 20 years, only two new drugs have been specifically developed to treat children with cancer!
Less than 4% of the National Cancer Institute's budget is directed to childhood cancer research!
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation exists to change these realities!
While some organizations spread their research dollar between adult and children's cancers, every grant funded by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is for childhood cancer research.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation takes great care with every donor dollar, keeping the staff small, the expenses low and directing every possible dollar to childhood cancer research.
All this being said, please donate! Or better yet, join my team, raise money for childhood cancer research, and SHAVE YOUR HEAD! Please support the St. Baldrick's Foundation! I have and will continue to do so for my daughter and all the other children fighting childhood cancer and brain tumors.
Thank you for your consideration.
Rich
Husband of a breast cancer survivor, father of a daughter with a brain tumor, and son of a great man who lost his battle on 5/7/2007. We have all been affected by cancer. Lets fight back for the children!