Toronto — February 17, 2026 — Childhood Cancer Canada (CCC) is launching a new national brand platform and awareness campaign, “Let’s Face the Unimaginable,” challenging the reflexive response many people have when confronted with childhood cancer — “I can’t imagine” — and reframing public understanding of the lifelong, family-wide realities that follow a diagnosis.
Right now, more than 10,000 families in Canada are caring for a child with cancer, and an average of six children are diagnosed every day. Childhood Cancer Canada is the leading national charitable organization focused exclusively on children’s cancer, supporting families through awareness, research funding, and long-term emotional and financial care — often well beyond treatment.
At the centre of the campaign is a hero film that asks viewers to pause and imagine the unimaginable — the cumulative impact of childhood cancer beyond the moment of diagnosis, from job loss and financial strain to relocation, isolation, and the emotional toll carried by parents and siblings alike. Defined by raw, unguarded moments, the film captures how childhood cancer continues to shape family life long after diagnosis.
The film features real childhood cancer families at various stages of treatment and recovery, drawing directly from lived experience to shape the visual narrative.
View Let’s Face the Unimaginable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQMu3oPSJeI
“Childhood cancer is often seen as a single moment — a diagnosis or a hospital stay — without fully understanding the ripple effects it creates for entire families,” said Kyle Smith, Director of Development, Childhood Cancer Canada. “Families are often navigating financial strain, emotional trauma, and long-term uncertainty at the same time. This campaign reflects our belief that only by confronting the full reality of childhood cancer can we begin to create better outcomes for families.”
The campaign is supported by a robust out-of-home, digital, and social rollout designed to make the unimaginable unignorable. The still work poses stark “Imagine” scenarios — such as “Imagine your child needs a second round of treatment” followed by “and you need a second mortgage” — bringing the financial, emotional, and practical realities families face into sharp focus.
Childhood cancer remains the leading disease-related cause of death for children in Canada, yet pediatric cancer research receives just seven per cent of overall government cancer research funding. More than 60 per cent of survivors face long-term physical or mental health effects, underscoring the need for sustained support well beyond treatment.
Developed by independent agency The Garden, the campaign launches nationally in February in support of International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day (February 15) and will run across donated media, including television, radio, out-of-home, digital, and social placements.
“We heard directly from families with lived experience that ‘I can’t imagine’ was something people reflexively said, often as a way to avoid hearing more,” said Lindsay Eady, Executive Creative Director, The Garden. “‘Let’s Face the Unimaginable’ is about pushing past avoidance and discomfort toward understanding — because we can’t begin to make a difference until we confront the reality families are living every day.”
Learn more and donate at childhoodcancer.ca/lets-face-the-unimaginable