Unless we have experienced it none of us can come close to imagining what it must be like to lose a child, or to watch them suffer.
There are days when I remember with a smile, young Daniel (13) my friend’s son, and some of his more mischievous moments, then there are other days, when despite 
my best efforts, I remember the nightmare his parents faced as they had to break the news to him that he had cancer. In the following weeks and months we watched him lose his hair and suffer pain we rarely speak of. During that time Daniel was braver than I could ever be.
Knowing your child has cancer and may die must be impossible to believe. Without having any time to absorb that news the child and it’s parents are whisked away from the life they knew, to a life where treatment so toxic it can kill, is the only choice they are given. There follows years of chemo, radiotherapy and surgery, with no guarantee of success. What parents witness they rarely speak off, with the result that most people never know how cruel the treatment is, or that very little has been done to improve it.
In the past seventy seven years there has been a total of three new cancer treatments developed for children, compared to seventy seven for adults in just six years.
Most of us are unaware that childhood cancer even exists. Many probably believe that most children recover, as many do. However the truth is that children do die. In the past four weeks seven families here in Ireland said a last good bye to their most precious child. These children fought hard and suffered so much it’s difficult to accept the treatment didn’t work.
Childhood cancer exists. Surely we owe it to our little ones to protect them, to do all in our power to find new treatments and cures, to limit side effects and ensure that our children are not left with life limiting conditions due to the toxicity of the treatment they receive?
You may wonder what you can do? It’s simple enough. Go Gold for September. Help raise awareness of childhood cancer by changing your facebook and Twitter profile Click here for information on how to change your profile picture.
If you are not on facebook or Twitter please remember that childhood cancer does exist. If you get any chance at all, be it through your writing or conversations in every day life, please put childhood cancer in the public eye.
Fight like a child for children with cancer
My thoughts on a page. 
tric, I changed my facebook page and twitter page and I twitted that it was childhood cancer awareness month so maybe that will help. every October I do American Breast Cancer Awareness blog I could blog about this over on my page next year this year if it’s okay with you I will just reblog your post..let me know and I will do that later today. It is Labor Day weekend here across the big pond our last major holiday before Thanksgiving and school really gets going so I will wish you a safe weekend and hope that things are going good for you across the big pond. Kat
Thank you so much.
Only when childhood cancer becomes uppermost in minds will it ever have a chance to get the funding needed for research.
It’s awful to think that the side effects we adults knew thirty years ago are now greatly reduced, but young children are still forced to experience them.
Thanks again so much.
I don’t mind reblogging it Tric it is something that is often and people need to be aware of it.
I just started following you on twitter I found you when I reposted it over there.
Great. I’ll find you now too. 🙂
Reblogged this on Rambling Thoughts.
Reblogged this on SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland and commented:
I have come to know Tric, as a blogging friend, over the last few years and feel honoured to have been introduced by her to her young friend, Daniel, who died from leukemia at the tender age of 13.
Tric is one of those people who epitomises, ‘actions speak louder than words,’ and I hope that you will read her post about Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and do whatever YOU can to bring it to public attention. As you will see from Tric’s posts about young Daniel’s life, illness, death and the enormous impact he made on people during his short time, we owe it to his memory to press for as much research as is humanly possible into childhood cancer so that other kids and their families and friends will be spared the suffering that the loss of a child to cancer inevitably brings.
Thank you Jean for the reblog and your very kind words. This means a lot to me.
thank you, tric.
My pleasure. If only we could do more.
Thanks Tric ❤️
I’d love to do a whole lot more. So frustrating not to see children being prioritised to the same degree as adults.
I can’t imagine what Daniel and his family and you friends went through. But I can imagine a world where no one has to experience that.
My pastor’s sweet 5 year old granddaughter passed away 5 years ago today from gliobastoma, 10 weeks from her diagnosis. i FUCKING HATE CANCER!
Oh my goodness, that’s awful.
I lost my daughter to cancer in 2012 when she was 10 years old. I spend pretty much the entire year spouting on about statistics and financials, raising money for research, etc. So this month I’m trying to compile a list of organizations that help cancer kids. Some I’ve had personal experience with, some have been recommended by other cancer families. So I welcome you to let me know of any organizations, large or small, that assist cancer kids and their families. http://del-vecchio.com/joesblog
I am so sorry for your dreadful loss. I called over to your site, your daughter is gorgeous.
I’m sure there are many great charities, but my favourite charity dealing with children with cancer in Ireland is Aoibheann’s pink tie. Here is the link. http://aoibheannspinktie.ie/about-us/
I love to spread the word about it.
You share a lovely blog
Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this. My little boy is nearly 3 and he was diagnosed in 2015. He has finished chemo 5 months ago. And today has had his portacath out, which has been such a relief and a worry in a way. The chemo got rid of the original growth in his skull, but there is a new one that they are going to keep monitoring. For now it is good news. I’m just praying it doesnt start growing again and coming back. I didnt know that childrens cancer didnt get as much research. To be honest before my little Lewis, i had no idea just how many children there are suffering and also how many different cancers they can have. It has been such an eye opener and so heartbreaking. I am sorry for yours and your friends loss. It is something i fear so much and its a horrible thought. sending much love and thanks for this article.
Thank you so much for your love and good wishes.
I am so sorry you, your little boy and family have been visited by this cruel illness. Cancer therapy is brutal but thankfully many children are cured and I hope your Lewis is one of them.
The worry must indeed be crucifying, but I hope you can enjoy the wonderful moment that removing the protocath is and the hopefully beginning of the return to strength of your little boy without chemo bombarding his body.
I wish you strength and many days of happiness and good news in your future.
Aww thank you so very much. That means alot to me. He is 3 in February and will be able to make a wish. He says he wants to see a whale and go on a boat to see one. He’s been watching fireman Sam and saw a whale on there. He loves animals so much. Hopefully this year will be a much more relaxed one. 🙂