September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

I never thought much about pediatric cancer until I was given a small glimpse into this world.  But, once you get a look behind the curtain, however briefly or vicariously, it makes an indelible impression. 

These kids are Superheroes!  They fight a powerful, evil villain every day, one that rivals any comic book villain ever conceived.  And, they do it with the kind of courage only found in Superheroes.

Let me tell you about one little Superhero I know. Cannon is the young son of two friends of mine, Mike and Melissa Wiggins. When Cannon was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hi-Risk Neuroblastoma on April 19, 2013, he was not even 2 years old.  His mother, Melissa, was just days away from delivering his twin brothers.  His parents stood watch at his bedside during endless tests, treatments, and surgeries even as they waited for his brothers to be born.  Eleven days after his diagnosis, Melissa and Mike gave birth to Cannon's baby brothers, Arran James and Gray. 

 
Cannon was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer throughout his body.  They were told that Cannon's chances of survival were about 50/50 -- coin flip odds would decide whether their baby boy would live or die.  Can you imagine getting that kind of news?  What followed was years of chemotherapy,  biopsy surgeries, surgery to resect his primary tumor, a painful stem cell transplant, radiation treatments, and endless months of off-and-on ICU stays for immunotherapy, complications and the like.  All of this hit home for me.  I have two children, and their adorable little blonde haired little boy, well … that could so easily be my child.

Right now Cannon is 6 years old as is what is known as NED ("No Evidence of Disease"), which means that he continues with regular treatment and monitoring while everyone hopes and prays that the cancer won't come back. The Wiggins family continues fighting their battle every day.  Sadly, they aren’t alone.  Too many of the children they came to know from hospital stays have lost their fight.

I never heard the word Neuroblastoma before Cannon was diagnosed, and I certainly didn't know what the treatment protocols were.  It is fairly rare.  It is also horrifying.  The most hated word in the world of pediatric cancer is “rare.”  “Rare” is the reason there is not enough research being done. “Rare” is the reason there aren’t new cancer drugs being developed. “Rare” is the reason there is so little research funding.  “Rare” is why these kids don’t have more options.

But, three facts put the claim of “rare” in context:

• Cancer is the number one disease killer of children in America.
• Every day 43 children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S.
• Every day 5 children will die from cancer in the U.S.  (250 every day worldwide).

So, I think it’s time for these Superheroes to get a little help.  They key to curing cancer in kids is funding research efforts, pure and simple.  Research provides better treatments, better quality of life, and will save lives.  So, to be blunt, I am hitting you up for money.
 
I am assembling a small team of runners who will run "The Dopey Challenge" in January 2018 in honor of all these brave kids.  Running "Dopey" refers to running all four of the road races run at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend each January.  It means running a 5K, 10K, ½ Marathon, and a full Marathon over four consecutive days for a total of 48.6 miles of running. 

I am asking for your support.  The team is doing the painful part--training and running the long, hot miles.  If this cause speaks to you, please consider making a donation.  You can donate to Alex’s Lemonade Stand by pushing a few buttons on this website.  Please donate.

In the alternative, if you would like to support the Wiggins’ Cannonball Kids Cancer Foundation directly, I encourage you to do that.  That is easy too, but requires a few more steps.  Please go to http://www.cannonballkidscancer.org/ and hit the square that says "DONATE"

Either way your donation is tax-deductible and will benefit these amazing grassroots 501(c)(3) organizations, whose mission is to cure pediatric cancer.  

Thank you for your support.

Jay Reid.