Kids with cancer are dreaming of more than a cure
Childhood Cancer Canada launches Live for Dreams Campaign
TORONTO, ON, August 31, 2023 – This September, Childhood Cancer Canada will launch its Live for Dreams Campaign, calling on people, corporations, and organizations across the country to support kids with big dreams despite cancer. This campaign coincides with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which raises awareness for childhood cancer—the number one cause of death by disease in Canadian kids.
There are 10,000 kids in Canada with cancer, six diagnosed each day, and 1 in 5 will not survive. Childhood Cancer Canada is the only organization in the country that supports paediatric oncology research while also providing financial assistance to parents facing the economic impact of a cancer diagnosis, scholarship grants for survivors, and funding for bereaved families.
“We raise critical funds so families can focus on their child’s health, not the burden of monthly expenses. We want these children to keep dreaming like any other kid their age,” says Angie Ramalho, Interim Executive Director of Childhood Cancer Canada. “Eloise McIntosh is a terrific example—our cancer hero this month. She was diagnosed with cancer just before starting high school, and today, she is a successful entrepreneur who tells children that ‘cancer is an obstacle, not a roadblock.’ The Live for Dreams Campaign aims to raise urgent funds so kids with cancer can pursue and fulfill their dreams like Eloise did, while also contributing to the greater good of society and a more hopeful future for all.”
Over the coming months, Canada will meet Eloise and children with cancer who are sharing their dreams to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Canada and what is possible through donations. Actor and star of Canada’s longest-running drama Murdoch Mysteries, Yannick Bisson, is lending his voice to the campaign. He and his wife, best-selling author Shantelle, are dedicated supporters of Childhood Cancer Canada after attending a charitable event to support the organization over a decade ago.
“We’ve always believed that good health is a gift that not all of us receive,” says Yannick and Shantelle. “Ten years ago, we were deeply moved when we met Jadyn, a young girl with a beaming smile battling an incredibly aggressive brain cancer. In that moment, we knew we had to help.”
Since its founding in 1987, Childhood Cancer Canada has raised more than $55 million to support families who have a child with cancer. These funds help ease the burden of significant monthly expenses in caring for children in treatment; give survivors the opportunity to go to post-secondary school; provide special packs for kids who are newly diagnosed; and offer grants to support grieving families.
Funds raised through the Live for Dreams Campaign will fund these priorities, ensuring families have the resources they need to provide quality care to their children while undergoing cancer treatment and follow-up care. To learn more about the Live for Dreams Campaign, please visit childhoodcancer.ca
About Childhood Cancer Canada
Childhood Cancer Canada is committed to helping create victories for children with cancer. We invest in collaborative life-saving research and empowering programs that support children with cancer, and their families from coast to coast to coast. Established in October 1987, Childhood Cancer Canada is the leading national charitable organization dedicated to funding paediatric oncology research while delivering support and programming for families impacted by childhood cancer.
Contact
Angie Ramalho
[email protected]
(416) 727-6795