The Amazing Things about the Childhood Cancer Community

I apologize for the unannounced hiatus. It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks.

There's been a lot of buzz on Instagram about childhood cancer this past week. I will directly address that in a minute, but I thought I would first share some of the amazing things I've observed about the childhood cancer community after being a member for a little more than two and a half years now.

The families of the childhood cancer community have to confront the fear that they may have to bury a child they love dearly on a daily basis. 46 families hear the words, "Your child has cancer," every day in the United States. 7 families have their worst nightmare come true when the child they love finally takes his or her last breath. Childhood cancer is the number disease killer of kids in the United States and many of the treatments today haven't changed even though decades have passed. Yet for some weird reason, the federal government believes that 3.8% of the federal funding for cancer research as a whole is enough to cover for all the kids out there who are currently fighting for a chance to just live a normal life. Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this shouldn't be happening and that something should change as soon as possible. 

I'm sure many of you out there know how stressful a cancer diagnosis can be. Despite this, I often see other cancer parents reaching out to their fellow comrades. With social media, medical updates and messages of support spread like wildfire. I love it because it shows that we're all united to help one another on this road, even if our own experience with the disease is different. As I was scrolling through Instagram in the midst of writing this post, I saw a few more posts about one of the kids I know who hasn't been doing well lately. I've been seeing posts about her all throughout the last few days. For the umpteenth time, I was reminded of how amazing and selfless the people of the childhood cancer community really are. We are still there to support each other even when our own hearts are desperately hurting over how childhood cancer has radically shaken up our own lives. 

As much as I love this, I hate it at the same time. You see, the world of childhood cancer isn't what it looks like on those TV commercials you see every now and then. In the words of one of my biggest role models, Tattoo Tom, "It's not smiling bald headed children and trips to Disney World and happily ever after. It's a big fat lie." Remember how I said news spreads around like wildfire with social media? Well, like most everything, there are both positives and negatives to that. When it comes to the wildfire I mentioned earlier, the bad side is that bad news can spread just as quickly as good news.

For those of you who don't know, the world said goodbye to a beautiful and courageous rhabdomyosarcoma warrior named Juliana a little more than a month ago on October 24th. Tomorrow would be her 15th birthday if it wasn't for cancer. I've only known her for a few months, but she has made such a lasting impact on my heart. To say I miss her is an understatement. She was first diagnosed in 2007 and cancer wouldn't leave her alone for 7 more times after that. Because her journey was so long, so many had known her story and wanted to pay their last respects with tributes of their own when she passed away. I loved that Julie made such a big impact on the world, but it quickly became too much for me. Starting my week with the news that she was gone was hard enough. Having my Instagram feed remind me that she wasn't here anymore every few posts or so only intensified my grief. 

I said at the beginning I would give my two cents about what's been going on over on Instagram lately. I'm sure many of you already know my opinion, but just in case, here it is again: I like the idea behind all of this, but I sincerely believe that more could be done than just posting a picture of a cartoon character. Here are some ideas if you're seriously considering joining the childhood cancer awareness movement:

1. Follow a child's journey.
Social media nowadays allows us to do amazing things, and so many parents are using it to update loved ones and anyone else whom their child has inspired on how things are going. There's a saying that goes, "If you've ever seen a child fight cancer, it will change your life forever." I have many stories I can tell that can relate to that statement, and I know others do as well. Therefore I have no doubts that it's true. 

2. Fundraise.

With so little funding going towards childhood cancer research, it's up to us to do what we can. There are so many ways to fundraise, which is good because we all have our unique ways of gifting. Bake sales, car washes, athletic events... The list goes on and on. 

3. Use your talents in other ways to help benefit the childhood cancer community.

If money isn't your thing, there are so many other ways to get involved! For example, if your area of gifting is art, you can donate your artwork to hospitals or use them as a part of care packages. I know kids love getting mail, and art would really help cheer up a hospital room that would be dreary otherwise. Or if you love to cook or bake and know a local family living with a childhood cancer diagnosis, I know they would appreciate a hot meal or a baked treat every now and then.