At 5:31 on Christmas Eve, 2012, we heard the 4 words no parent ever wants to hear.  Those 4 little words, "your child has cancer", changed us immediately, profoundly and forever. Our then 11 year old daughter began a journey that none of us ever wanted to be on.  Shannon went through multiple rounds of agressive chemo treatments, too many bone marow biopsies and spinal taps to count,  and a bone marrow transplant.  She lost 2 years of her life,..we all did. By the grace of God, our families, our amazing doctors and nurses and an army of supporters, she is currently a thriving 21 year college student. 

While in treatment, Shannon became fast friends with a boy named Zack.  Zack was a year younger, and they became inseparable during the long days in the hospital.  Bound together by this awful disease, and wanting to just be "normal" kids, they made the floors of 6North (oncology unit at BCH) their playground, and navigated being preteens with cancer together.   Both of them followed similar, successful tracks and went into remission for over 5 years.  Sadly, Zack relapsed and had to fight this viscious fight again.  He lost his battle in December 2020, and Shannon not only lost a big piece of herself when he passed, but also had to once again face the reality of her cancer.  

The treatments that these kids go through have significant short and long term side effects. On top of having to face their own mortality, something no child should ever have to do,  they also have to face the fact that they are subject to severe chronic health problems by age 45 (98% of survivors will have chronic health problems later in life all due to the harsh treatments meant to save their lives). Shannon and kids like her are at high risk for secondary cancers, lung and cardiac problems and fertility issues, something we have already had to come to terms with. 

Every day, there are almost 800 new cases of childhood cancer around the world. This adds up to an estimated 300,000 new cases of cancer that 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 dedicated to childhood cancers each year.

To learn more, Click Here to watch a video that Shannon and I made during Childhood Cancer Awareness month many years ago.

Today, the money you donate has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of kids like Shannon and Zack, kids living with cancer (and their families). Your donation will fund research into safer, more effective treatments and cures. Give today!