- One in every 330 Americans develops cancer before the age of twenty.
- On the average, 36 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer everyday in the United States.
- On the average, one in every four elementary schools has a child with cancer. The average high school has two students who are current or former cancer patients.
- Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the United States.
- Childhood cancers affect more potential patient-years of life than any other cancer except breast and lung cancer.
- The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown. At present, childhood cancer cannot be prevented.
- Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region. In the United States, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group, except those over 65 years.
- Despite these facts, childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded
I have lost count to the children that have died from cancer whos journeys I have followed.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is one of the types of cancer that children get and the survival rate is not good at all. Every child that I have followed their story has eventually relapsed and died. The chemo treatments and radiation that they have to go through is very intense and makes them deathly ill.
Ethan is the most recent little friend of mine who will soon be leaving earth and meeting his heavenly father. I dont understand how people can intentionally ignore and avoid educating themself and getting the word out. One child dying from this disease is one child too many.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethanjostad/journal
Ethan is the definition of what a hero and a fighter truly is. We need to find a cure for childhood cancer!
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