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DC United & Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

DC United & Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Come watch as two MLS playoff contenders—DC United and Columbus Crew—face off while helping raise awareness about childhood cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!

Image result for dc united vs columbus crewThat’s right! DC United has joined with the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) to hold a childhood cancer awareness event at their match against Columbus Crew on September 28 at RFK Stadium, and you’re invited! Tickets cost just $25, and when you use the link below, $10 of the cost of each ticket purchase will be donated back to the ACCO to support the ACCO and its mission to aid children with cancer and their families.

https://groupmatics.events/#/event/accodcu

DC United Supports Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s right around the corner. Our goal is to turn the world “gold” during this critical awareness month, to give everyone, everywhere, a visual reminder of the importance of the fight against this deadly disease. We are so excited to have DC United’s help and support as they turn RFK Stadium GOLD on September 28. All DC United players will have gold laces on their sneakers and will wear gold warm up shirts. The playing field will highlight gold nets and gold corner flags.

And most critically, the half-time show will shine a gold spotlight on childhood cancer, making a human gold ribbon on the field! Pre-selected individuals will get a free gold t-shirt and will be invited onto the field to participate in this special on-field experience. Spots are limited based on availability, so purchase your tickets today for your chance to be a part of this amazing show.

Join the Fun and Participate in this Important Event

  • What: Major League Soccer: DC United v. Columbus Crew featuring the ACCO and childhood cancer
  • When: September 28, 2016 at 7:30pm
  • Where: RFK Stadium in in Washington, DC
  • How: Tickets are $25 apiece. Use the link below and $10 of each ticket purchase will be donated to the ACCO:
  • https://groupmatics.events/#/event/accodcu
  • Time is limited: tickets are available only until September 26, 2016 @ 11:59 PM EST.

Why Should You Participate in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?

Unfortunately, childhood cancer is still considered a “rare” disease and despite the devastating impact on children diagnosed with the disease and their families, it receives only a fraction of the public awareness, research, and funding devoted to adult cancers. Yet a few simple facts will bring the stark realities of childhood cancer into clear focus:

  • Cancer is the #1 cause of disease-related deaths in the United States today;
  • Approximately 1 in 285 children under the age of 20 will be diagnosed with cancer;
  • 2 out of every 10 children with childhood cancer will not survive;
  • Nearly 90% of all childhood cancer survivors will suffer long-term health problems directly related to their cancer and the toxicity of current treatment options;
  • Of the 109 new drugs developed since 1990 for the treatment of cancer, only two were developed and approved by the FDA specifically to treat childhood cancer.

Why Should You Support the ACCO?

When you purchase a ticket to this fun, exciting MLS game using the link above, $10 of the price of your ticket will go directly to the ACCO to support its mission of advocating on behalf of children with cancer at the national and international levels, as well as developing and providing educational resources free of charge to children with cancer and their families. These educational tools help guide and support children and their families through every stage of their fight against this terrible disease: providing parents with accurate, timely information they need to help make critical medical decisions, helping children cope with the scary, stressful, unknown world of the hospital, tests, and treatments, and supporting families as they navigate the new, unwelcome world into which they are thrown when they first hear those terrible words: “your child has cancer.”

We thank you, and the brave childhood cancer warriors across the country thank you, because

Kids Can’t Fight Cancer Alone!®

About the American Childhood Cancer Organization

The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) is a non-profit charity dedicated to helping kids with cancer and their families navigate the difficult journey from cancer diagnosis through survivorship. Internationally, the ACCO is the sole US member of Childhood Cancer International (CCI), the largest patient-support organization for childhood cancer in the world. Here in the United States, the ACCO promotes the critical importance of ensuring continued funding into new and better treatment protocols for childhood cancer.  And most importantly, the ACCO is focused on the children: developing and providing educational tools for children fighting cancer and their families, empowering them in their understanding of childhood cancer and the medical decisions they must make during this difficult journey. All of ACCO’s resources are available free of charge for families coping with childhood cancer.

For additional information about childhood cancer or on the ACCO, or to order resources for you or your child, please visit our website at www.acco.org.

Gold Ribbon Hero Katie C

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Katie is an 18-year-old survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Diagnosed when she was eight ,she was treated for 2 1/2 years by the amazing staff at Wake Forest  University’s Brenner Children’s  hospital in Winston-Salem North Carolina

Since her recovery Katie  has been an advocate for childhood cancer awareness.  She  twice her high school dance team in walk for wishes events. She ihas also been involved with the  Saint Baldrick’s  foundation and   volunteered with the arts for life program. This past summer she spent three weeks volunteering at Camp Carefree , a local camp for chronically ill children which  she attended while she was in treatment    Currently  Katie is a freshman at North Carolina State University where she plans to study human biology and possibly prepare for a career in the medical field.” – Anne C

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Gold Ribbon Hero Zoie S

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Zoie is 12 years old and was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She has had aggressive chemotherapy since her diagnosis. She missed the last few weeks of her 6th grade year and hasn’t been able to start 7th grade because of her treatments. She fights hard everyday. She has had ups and downs, but she bounces back each time. She is truly a tiny fighter.” – Lori T

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Gold Ribbon Hero Jeorge & Samantha P

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: I am originally from RI however our family is now in Hong Kong. Jeorge and Samantha Petris are in the middle of a huge fundraiser for the childrens cancer foundation and also Rett.’s Roost  a retreat for bereaved families of childhood cancer in the US started by a friend of ours who recently lost her baby to cancer.
Jeorge and Sam managed to get 15 other children involved in their efforts and are spreading their love and want to heal all over Hong Kong and the USA. They created a Facebook blog “little Philanthropist” and also have a webpage where they tell their stories
www.littlephilanthropist.net. The children managed to organise over 10,000 toys to sell at and event in the end of september. They have gone door to door requesting for companies to donate all on their own. Its an inspiring story and we are so very proud!” – Julie P

 

 

 

 

 

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Gold Ribbon Hero Shyla T

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: This little angle is 15mnths old and has been through more than us will go through in our life time. Shys my daughter and back in 2015 we found a lump on her back and we had it checaked and after many test and doctors they said it was a teathered cord she had surgery to disconnect the tissue from her spine and it went well. One of the many symptoms from this surgery could be loss in Blatter control so we went in to Shys Uroligist and had a ultrasound done on her kidneys they looked great but something wasn’t right in the lady’s face that was doing the ultrasound. She told us she needed a second set of eyes to look at her ultrasound and we just knew something was wrong, that’s when they told us they saw a tumor in her adrienal glad with many months of test and poking on my sweet baby they found out that it was cancerous and we needed to have surgery to get it removed but before then we had to have even more test done MIBG petscans bone scans etc. they all thankfully came back negative and the surgery was successful of removing the tumor, and she is now cancer free! ️ But even after all of this she will continue to have to have test done year after year for both surgerys she’s had this year and contained to be poked and messed with but inspiete all of this she is one of the most happiest kids I’ve ever seen and can always put a smile on anyone’s face. So this is why I nominate my daughter Shyla to be a gold ribbon hero.” – Amanda T

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Gold Ribbon Hero Cash W

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Cash has been battling stage 4 Neuroblastoma since August 28, 2015. He was diagnosed at just 22 months old. He’s the greatest little boy I have ever laid eyes on, and he’s not once let this cancer get him down.” – Tristan W

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More about Childhood Neuroblastoma Cancers:

Learn More About the Different Types of Childhood Cancers:

Gold Ribbon Hero Taylor C

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Taylor was diagnosised with Rhabdomyosarcoma when she was 22 months, behind her right eye. She had emergency surgery to save the vision in that eye. They removed 30% of the tumor. She had 40 weeks of chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. She has had a cataract removed in that eye. Taylor is 6 years old now and has chronic dry eye which causes inflammation, she suffers with headaches daily. She is legally blind in her right eye also. Taylor is strong, she is a fighter. She never complains, she is my hero!” – Sarah C

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Golden Ribbon Hero Anna from Chicago

ACCO_Chicago061516-3172With September—Childhood Cancer Awareness Month—just around the corner, we would like to take a few minutes to thank Anna and her family for taking the time to be part of our awareness activities in Chicago in mid-June. After a year of treatment for T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Anna is currently in the middle of aggressive chemotherapy designed to eliminate the last remaining cancer cells in her blood so she can move to the next phase of treatment: maintenance. Yet despite a prolonged hospital stay as Anna’s young body continues to struggle with the effects of the aggressive treatment, she was excited to participate in this important awareness campaign, to act as an ambassador for all the many childhood cancer warriors facing this terrible disease. It was truly an honor to meet her!

Anna’s Story

September of 2015, Anna was a typical 5 year-old starting kindergarten. However, only three weeks into the school year, this typically energetic and sassy redhead was becoming more and more lethargic, with fevers that wouldn’t stay away and bruises that kept coming back. After bringing her to urgent care on a Sunday afternoon, Anna’s parents knew something just wasn’t right and took her to the ER for a follow-up. While the sense of urgency was ultimately correct and somewhat expected, the diagnosis certainly wasn’t. Anna’s parents were told she likely had leukemia and was very, very sick. She was sent directly to the PICU where she spent the next several days and additional days in the pediatric ward where she was ultimately diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a sub-type of leukemia, which is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

Cancer Diagnosis

In the early days after diagnosis, Anna’s family members were inundated with a whirlwind of information amidst their concern around their little girl’s life. Within the first couple of days, Anna had surgery to place a port, decisions needed to be made about whether or not to treat her as part of a clinical study, and instant education needed to happen around a plethora of unfamiliar vocabulary and options for a very overwhelmed and frightened set of parents. Both Anna and her concerned older sister were thrown into a scary place as a patient and a sibling that involved serious yet child-friendly dialogues around cancer and what it would mean for everyone involved.  And of course Anna herself had to adapt to being poked and prodded endlessly, forced to take many awful medicines to bring her body into a safe place for early and aggressive treatment, all the while trying to understand as a kindergartner why all of this was so important and necessary.

T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment

ACCO_Chicago061516-3154There was an exceptionally fearful time in the early weeks of treatment where a suspected life-threatening turn of events required a rapid response from the emergency staff on the pediatric floor, and Anna’s parents were told to prepare for the worst. Luckily, it was determined that it was a lesser threat of kidney stones, but that led into very painful days for Anna to pass the stones, all while enduring chemotherapy and being on a low sodium diet during a phase of treatment where the side effects drive patients to crave salty food. All in all, it was one of the most miserable and terrifying phases of her they had experienced to date.

In spite of this set of conditions, Anna showed a tremendous will of spirit. She loved her new friends in the hospital from Child Life, the nursing staff, and the hospital volunteers. She thought the toys and playtime to explain the medical routines were a treat, not a chore.  Her joy in these trying times helped to lift her family through this seismic shift in their lives, especially through many of the logistical challenges. The daily life activities of Anna’s sister’s school attendance, homework, sports, pet care, household chores, etc. all still needed to happen while one parent remained in the hospital at all times.

As time passed and Anna’s treatment shifted to primarily weekly outpatient visits with planned inpatient stays for longer chemotherapy sessions, her road map was anything but certain. Several times she spent multiple days in the hospital due to fevers or side effects from treatment. Lumbar punctures, chemotherapy, and transfusions become commonplace, which no child nor family should have to come to know. However, at least the plan was in place, and Anna was responding to treatment. By January she was declared to be in remission…one step closer to the ultimate goal of curing Anna of cancer entirely.

Anna Now

ACCO_Chicago061516-3345Anna is currently still in treatment and close to reaching the beginning of the next phase…maintenance, where she will continue aggressive support of staying in remission for at least several months beyond that. The calendar is not yet completely certain, as it is completely dependent on how the days and weeks of treatment pass in the meanwhile. The chemotherapy has been brutal for Anna, and she has sometimes had delays between treatments due to the effects and how she recovers from each session. However, Anna is a fighter, and she is looking forward to returning to school this year, in spite of the ongoing risks and having to be isolated or excluded if her body has a tough time with ongoing treatment. Her family continues to try to creatively keep Anna focused positively on fun in spite of the hard work. Fighting as a family toward beating cancer has brought them closer together and helped them to be more inspired to live life with meaning and joy in spite of the dark and scary days in between.

To submit a Gold Ribbon Hero’s story, please Click Here

For additional information about childhood cancer or on the ACCO, or to order resources for you or your child, please visit our website at www.acco.org , call 855.858.2226 or visit:

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Gold Ribbon Hero Emma R

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Emma inspires more people than she could ever imagine, whether that be the way she smiles through the toughest of situations or how her positive light allows her to be consistently compassionate towards everyone around her- especially the other kids at the hospital.   She empowers the people closest to her who see her at her best and her worst and those who do not even know her.  Emma is a fighter and does not let leukemia become a barrier between her and the things she loves such as cheer leading.  No matter how sick she feels, she pushes forward for herself and for those around her.  She is the best sister, friend, daughter, and classmate anyone could imagine.   and she inspires me to push forward in everything that I do.” – Sarah A

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Gold Ribbon Hero Bella M

Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Bella is a beautiful soul fighting Osteosarcoma.  She should be a Gold Ribbon Hero because she shares her journey on social media and has raised so much awareness for childhood cancer.  We smile with her, and cry with her and pray with her.  She is so brave and is fighting so hard.  She is so kind hearted that while she valiantly fights for her life she was heartbroken for the people effected by the floods in Loiusiana.  She was asking for people to reach out and help the victims of the flooding that had lost so much.  She has a beautiful and big smile and an even bigger heart.  She is my (our) hero.” – Mckenna Rimage