Every day, there are almost 700 new cases of childhood cancer around the world. This adds up to an estimated 250,000 new cases of cancer affect children under the age of 20 each year worldwide. And yet, childhood cancer is vastly and consistently underfunded with less than 4% of the federal government's total funding for cancer research is dedicated to childhood cancers each year.

Today, the money you donate has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of kids with cancer (and their families). Your donation will go to research into better and safer treatments and more cures. Please don’t make these kids wait longer than they have to and give today!

Evelyn's Story

Shortly after Valentine’s Day, Evelyn started complaining of chest pains. It’s unusual for her to complain about how she’s feeling and we also noticed she was less active than usual. We took her to her pediatrician, who examined her and ordered further blood tests. On Sunday, February 21, we took Evelyn to the emergency room at Children’s National Hospital in DC. They found she had an elevated heart rate and very low hemoglobin. They admitted her to the hospital.

During her first 18 hours at the hospital, Evelyn received three blood transfusions, which brought down her heart rate. On Tuesday, February 23, she underwent a bone marrow biopsy. The results showed she has acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and she was moved to the cancer ward.

This was devastating news, but even as we absorbed the shock of it and began to contemplate all the near- and long-term implications, we found some grounds for reassurance. The survival rate for ALL (cancer-free five years after initial diagnosis) is around 90 percent for patients in the low (standard) risk category, and initial indicators put Evelyn in that category: age between one and ten years, female, low white cell count, otherwise in good health, etc. We had confidence in the facility and its staff and we knew Evelyn’s upbeat, resilient personality would be an asset. Kevin and Katharine’s employers were understanding and supportive, and kind words and prayers immediately began to flow in from family and friends.