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Gold Ribbon Hero Anthony G.

Gold Ribbon Hero Anthony G.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Anthony fought Wilms Tumor like a champ. No matter what happened or what he was being put through he always had a smile on his face. Nothing brought him during this process.” – Christina G.

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AS OF TODAY THE CHILDHOOD CANCER STAR ACT HIT 127 COSPONSORS!

Cancer is a global health issue. By 2020, there will be 16 million new cases of of cancer worldwide. It must be noted that the incidence rate of cancer in children is on the rise. One in every 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. The majority of cancer patients, especially children, are treated with toxic therapies that include chemotherapy and radiation. These types of toxic treatments can result in secondary cancers. In fact, 19% of people diagnosed with cancer, had cancer before. Clearly, there needs to be more research done into the causes of secondary cancers, as well as research to develop less toxic drugs to increase cures and reduce the incidence of secondary cancers.” – Caleb Hoffman (Brother of Childhood Cancer Survivor)

The American Childhood Cancer Organization is a proud member of the Alliance for Childhood Cancer, and with the help of the childhood cancer community, came together with the co-chairs of the Childhood Cancer Caucus to create the STAR Act (Survivorship, Treatment, Access & Research).

The Bill can be found by clicking these links: House Bill & Senate Bill.
To help with this initiative and to maintain the momentum, ACCO is asking:
  1. That our families get behind this bill by asking their congressional representatives to sign on to the bill. Then please email us to let us know that you contacted your representatives in the House and Senate so that we can follow up with those offices.  Click here to learn more…
  2. For you to please support our ongoing work to raise awareness and to advocate on behalf of families of children with cancer across the U.S. by making a donation by clicking here or the button below.
  3. Be sure to join the more than 80,000 followers on our Facebook Page to get involved in the conversation and stay connected.

ACCO wants to thank Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) as well as Congressman Mike McCaul (R-TX) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) for their sponsorship of this important legislation.
Also, early this morning, the House and Senate announced the details of the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations legislation.

 

The National Institutes of Health will receive $32.084 billion, an increase of approximately $2 billion (6.6%). The agreement also includes $200,000,000 for the new Precision Medicine Initiative. The National Cancer Institute will receive $5,214,701,000, an increase of approximately $264.3 million (5.34%).

 

These increases are the largest in recent memory, and we are extremely grateful for the hope that these increased funding levels bring.

 

For more information about the American Childhood Cancer Organization and how we can help, call 855.858.2226 or visit:

NoteStream

Gold Ribbon Hero Brooklyn T.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: My hero is my 3 yr old granddaughter Brooklyn who in May was diagnosed with stage 4 Wilms tumor or nephroblastoma.
She has had 3 surgeries.  One for her port & kidney biopsy. Then second, to remove her kidney, then lastly she developed complications from the kidney removal & had a bowel obstruction so they had to untwist her bowel.
That itself was a 20 day hospital stay.
She’s indured 8 rounds of radiation & 17 rounds of chemotherapy   Along with numerous blood draws, pokes & scans
She always has a smile & meets no stranger.  She loves her doggy Zoie & loves Elsa & everything from “Frozen”     On December 8th she completed the last chemotherapy round & we are claiming that God has cleared her cancers & that she will get to “Ring the bell” in January.  An awesome way to start our new year !!!!
https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynRTilley/” – Kristi M.

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Gold Ribbon Hero Kena S.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Kena is a very stong little girl she has been though so much in in 2 years of her life but keeps right on smiling and going as strong as she can. Her parents find happiness though her and strength.” – Jennifer W.

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Gold Ribbon Hero Lauren R.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Lauren was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia on April 29, 2015.  She was just 2-1/2 at the time of diagnosis.  Our sweet granddaughter is our HERO and a hero to everyone she knows!  Through all her treatments, some way more difficult than other, she continues to smile and show us all what true strength is!  She is a precious little girl.  She has about 2 years of treatment to go but she is kicking each phase to the curb, one by one!!!” – Laura S.

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Gold Ribbon Hero Alex S.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Straight A’s.  Nothing was going to stop Alex from getting straight A’s-not even lymphoma.  On July 22nd 2013 Alex went into CHOA for an adenoidectomy.  When Dr. Sivi Bakthavachalam was performing his surgery, “something did not look right” and he found that it was cancer.  In utter shock and disbelief we took Alex home until the diagnosis was confirmed.  Alex had lost his “Grammy” eight months before from cancer.  He had never met his grandfather, great grandparents, or even his namesake because they died of cancer before Alex was born.  So how does a parent tell their child that they too have cancer?  In Alex’s mind cancer was a death sentence and, since he was a toddler, dying has always been his biggest fear.
We were called the next day once the diagnosis was confirmed and told to come to the hospital so Alex could be admitted.  Now that we had a confirmed diagnosis, the Doctors were able to stage the progression of the cancer and insert a PICC line.  A PICC line is a long, thin, hollow tube that a doctor or nurse puts into a vein above the bend of your elbow. This would deliver the chemo and other medicine.  His chemo started immediately as his cancer was aggressive and too close to his brain.  Thanks to Dr. Bakthavachalam, Alex’s cancer was caught early stage.  His course of treatment required chemo directly into his spinal cord in addition to all the other chemo given through his PICC line. We will never forget the kindness, patience and warmth of Dr. Bergsagel, his oncologist, Karen, his Child Life Specialist, and those earth angels they call nurses.  They didn’t just take care of Alex, they put their collective arms around our whole family and they were (and still are) the glue that keeps us together.
Imagine, just for a moment, being 15, getting ready to start 10th grade nearly bald and with tubes coming out of your arm knowing you have cancer.  Knowing that “triple taps” into his spine, weekly blood draws and chemo were going to be how he spent what should have been one of the most exciting times of his life.
He did not complain and he did not stay home from school. He held his fuzzy head high and went about living his life.  “We just have to keep moving forward Mom.  We can’t change the past or what’s happening now.  We just have to keep moving forward.”  This was the wisdom coming from my 15 year old.
Alex studied while hospitalized even when they came in to change his chemo bags.  He just kept moving forward and he got his straight A’s.” – Carvotta

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Gold Ribbon Hero Gabriel G.

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Todos los que tuvimos el gusto de conocerte lloramos tu partida pero nos quedamos con el grato recuerdo de los buenos momentos que pasamos juntos y nos diste tanta alegría Nuestro Gaby siempre estaras en nuestros corazones. Te amamos muchisimo y Siempre te tenemos presente.” – Lester, Adriana y Josseling M.

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