Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2021

September 1 - September 30

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and is symbolised by a gold ribbon, worn to commemorate the event. This is an annual international awareness month to raise support, funding, and awareness of childhood cancers and the impact for sufferers and families of sufferers of childhood cancer. It was founded in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and is mainly run in the form of awareness events by cancer charities.

Childhood cancer is devastating to growth and development in children, and devastating to their families and friends. At a time when young people should be focusing on school, play, and socialising, if they have cancer, their focus can be on medication, operations, and what life they have left.

Parents of childhood cancer sufferers have the anguish of watching their children suffer, and the stress of decisions on medications and treatments as well as decisions on time of work for themselves and time off school for the child, and worst, trying to explain to a child what is happening to them and answering the resulting questions on life and faith, and worst of all is the loss of a child to cancer, devastation that can never be put right.

Some forms of cancer are mainly or exclusively only seen in children, and that is something highlighted by the awareness month. Children can be more resilient to cancer and cancer treatments than adults, and there are many cases of triumph and complete recovery, where children make a complete recovery and grow up to normal life. But awareness, education, and support are vital, which is why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is also vital.

GET INVOLVED

When a child is going through cancer treatment, they have a lot of hard days. They face long hospital stays, treatments that last months or even years, too many medications to count, uncertainty about the future… but they still show us everything they can do.

They can play | They can dream | They can create

While these kids focus on what they can do, this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re asking you to join us in showing what we can do for them. We can make treatment for childhood cancer easier - and you can help.

Be a fundraiser for childhood cancer!

Join a community of passionate fundraisers in our mission to discover a world without childhood cancer. Visit the new platform to create your own fundraiser for an event, milestone, challenge, or to honour someone you love!