Recognize childhood cancer all year long, not just during the month of September

Highland Resident Denise Sandoval says it’s important to recognize and remember childhood cancer all year long and not just during the month of December.

On Wednesday, December 18, Sandoval donated 23 stuffed Scentsy Buddies to Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California (CCFSC), to be disseminated to children in the cancer ward at Loma Linda University Children’s Health.

“It’s important to remember children who are battling cancer and fighting for their lives all year long and not just during September, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” said Sandoval.

For many years, childhood cancer has been overlooked and underrepresented in both the media and in-regards to funding childhood cancer research.

“I support the awareness of all cancers and believe all types of cancers should be represented in an equal light. Since childhood cancer only affects one percent of the entire population fighting cancer…it receives less attention than it deserves,” Sandoval said.

According to the American Cancer Society, childhood cancers make up less than 1 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year. That 1 percent is not much of a market for drug makers, who rack up an estimated $1.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs while bringing a novel drug to market.

They would never recoup that treating the 700 children diagnosed with neuroblastoma annually, or the 100 diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a deadly brain tumor.

It was until 2018, when major enterprises such as Amazon and the American Childhood Cancer Organization began an innovative state level approach to overcome the disparity between adult and childhood cancer research. The initiative, Why Not Kids, has been successful in bringing forth policies and funding for children battling cancer.

“As the holiday season approaches and when it concludes…it’s important to remember everyone. Especially those little fighters, fighting for their lives in a hospital bed,” concluded Sandoval. For more information on CCFSC, visit http://ccfsocal.org.