Greg Anderson, founder of Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation, experienced a defining moment in 1984 when we was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Greg was given just 30 days to live by his surgeon. He was told nothing more could be done. It’s now 2013, almost 30 years later, and Greg is not only alive but he thrives and is cancer-free.
Refusing to accept the hopelessness of his prognosis, Greg created a whole-person approach to cancer survival. This included medicine as well as high-level nutrition, daily exercise, powerful mind/body disciplines as well as contemplative prayer. Today he has started an international outreach to help people with cancer who have been told that their situation is hopeless. Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation is one of those inspiring organizations.
How Prevalent is Childhood Cancer Today?
To understand the impact charities like the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation have, it is important to first understand how prevalent pediatric cancer is. The statistics are shocking:
- Cancer is the number 1 cause of disease-related death for children. Cancer accounts for 30% of disease-related deaths in children ages 1 – 4, 50% of disease-related deaths in children aged 5 – 14and and 45% of disease-related deaths in children aged 15 – 18.
- In the U.S., over 13,400 children under 19 years of age are diagnosed with cancer every year.
- 1 in every 300 boys and one in every 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday.
- 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer will die; the average age of death for children with cancer is 8.
- Thankfully, childhood cancer survival rates have been rising. Today, nearly 90% of childhood leukemia patients survive.
- But survival is not without a price. Two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors face at least one chronic health condition. One fourth of survivors face a late-effect from treatment that is life-threatening. The most common chronic health conditions include damage to the heart and lungs. In addition, second cancers, infertility, hearing loss and cognitive impairment from the treatments rank high
You can find out more of these statistics here and here.
How the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation is Making an Impact
After overcoming his 30-day-to-live prognosis in 1984, Greg Anderson went in search of people who had been told by their doctors, like him, that their cancer was terminal. This led to his interviewing and surveying over 16,000 cancer patients and their families. Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation was born of that research.
Today, Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation is helping kids fight cancer in a variety of ways:
- Every year, over 15,000 children receive gifts from the Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation through the national “Bear-Able Gift Program.” The gifts include board games, crayons, coloring books, puzzles, teddy bears, video games and more. Over 220 hospitals in the United States participate in these gifts with lifts that help make children smile and laugh.
- With the “Helping Hands Fund,” Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation provides emergency bridge payments directly to utility companies and landlords, to help families of children with cancer that are facing financial difficulties. The Foundation’s promises that each child has shelter while recovering from cancer.
- The Foundation’s “Camp Scholarship” Program helps children in remission to reconnect with friends and activities they love. This program funds activities the children love like sports, music, horseback riding, skiing, art, science, and more.
- Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation partners with clinics and hospitals in developing countries to help children fight cancer with their “International Aid” Program. The Foundation has partnered with healthcare providers in Guatemala, Kenya, Vietnam, Ghana, Honduras, and the Philippines.
- Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation has been awarded The Independent Charities 5-Stae Best in America Award for six consecutive years. Only 2% of charities in the U.S. have been awarded this seal.
- The Foundation also meets all standards required by the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the most exclusive and elite of all charitable fundraising campaigns.
Conclusion
Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation is changing lives and making great strides in the childhood cancer fight. This is a charity worthy of our support. More information is available at http://childrenscancerrecovery.org/.