Childhood Cancer - Five reasons why Canadians must change the face of childhood cancer

Five reasons why Canadians must change the face of childhood cancer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 30, 2022 (TORONTO, ON) – In an effort to increase awareness of childhood cancer, Childhood Cancer Canada (CCC) is sharing five reasons why Canadians need to help make a difference. During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September, the national foundation is increasing awareness through a variety of initiatives including having more than 60 Canadian landmarks being lit up gold to honour the Gold Ribbon, the international symbol for childhood cancer awareness.

"Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease of Canadian children," says Sandi Hancox, Executive Director, Childhood Cancer Canada. "Although we're making a change and overall outcomes are positive -- there is still work to be done to address survivorship, toxicity of treatments, and the low cure rates of refractory, relapsed and hard to treat cancers. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to share these challenges with Canadians because these children need our support."

Childhood Cancer Canada's five reasons why Canadians need to help change the face of childhood cancer are:

Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease of Canadian children.
One in five children will not survive cancer and outcomes worsen for hard-to-cure cancer.
Only approximately seven percent of all cancer research dollars are dedicated to childhood cancer.
95% of survivors will have a chronic health problem by the time they are 45 years of age.
More than 10,000 children, adolescents and young adults in Canada are currently in treatment or 5-year follow-up for cancer.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness month, CCC is undertaking the following initiatives:

Light Up Gold – working with volunteers and community partners from across the country to Light Up Gold over 60 landmarks.
#makeCanadagold, #childhoodcancerawarenessmonth — launching a social media campaign to highlight the need to invest in research by giving families the opportunity to share their stories of having received gene sequencing through the PROFYLE program.
#HeroPose Challenge – a social media awareness campaign to let childhood cancer families know they are not alone, and all childhood cancer children are Heroes! Canadians are being encouraged to do the #HeroPose and post it to social media #HeroPose #childhoodcancer #childhoodcancerawarenessmonth #childhoodcancercanada.
In addition, there will be many fundraising activities occurring across the country and everyone is invited to participate in their own way.

Childhood Cancer Canada
Since 1987, Childhood Cancer Canada's mission has been to create victories for Canadian children with cancer through investment in national, collaborative, and lifesaving research, as well as empowering their education, and community programs. The Foundation has been able to support more than 17,000 families throughout Canada whose children have been diagnosed with cancer with its programs including Empower Packs, Emergency Fund, Survivor Scholarships, and the Benevolent Fund. CCC is also the primary charitable funding partner of clinical trials and childhood cancer research for C17, comprised of leading pediatric oncologists and hematologists in Canada. For information, visit www.childhoodcancer.ca.

For more information, please contact:
Angie Ramalho
Childhood Cancer Canada
[email protected]