News & Events

AN APPEAL --- LET US STOP THE DYING!!!

September is International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This commemoration aims to recognize the fact that cancer does not only strike adults; Cancer also hurts and kills our most cherished treasure , our most valuable resource ---- our children . Sadly, this reality is not yet in our national consciousness and list of priorities. It is not even in our health calendars.

Everyday, at least 8 Filipino kids , some as young as a few months old, die of cancer. Many deaths are due to delayed detection, misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment and/or unaffordable costs of medication and treatment. Most of our regional and provincial hospitals still do not have pediatric oncologists or beds/wards for children with cancer. Cancer medication is not in the list of priority drugs for parallel importation. Health professionals are not adequately oriented on signs and symptoms of childhood cancer. There is no information campaign nor health promotion activity directed to increasing awareness on childhood cancers.

We urge all of you to do what you can to change these conditions. We urge all of you to write or call your local executives, health officials, congressmen and senators , the President , so that they can take the necessary steps to launch a concerted fight against childhood cancer, prioritize importation of low cost cancer medicines and provide adequate information on childhood cancers .

If diagnosed early and treated appropriately, cancer can still be beaten. In other countries, treatment for childhood cancer is considered a modern day medical miracle . Out of ten diagnosed with cancer, only one or two children die. In the Philippines, the survival rate of children with cancer is much, much lower. More children die from cancer than adults. One death is too many.

Cancer pushes innocent children, some still unable to talk or walk, to the frontlines of a long and painful battle against a powerful and devastating enemy. Treatment for childhood cancer is often aggressive and expensive - a combination of chemotheraphy, radiation or surgery, and can last from one to several years, depending on the type of cancer . At a time when their bodies and minds are still growing and developing, at a time when they should be carefree and enjoying life, playing, imagining and dreaming about the future, children with cancer are constantly in and out of hospitals, battling for their lives, struggling with extreme pain, uncertain if they have a future. Their families likewise bear the emotional anguish of seeing their child suffer as well as having to face the unexpected burden of medical bills. Children with cancer and their families need your help. Working together, you can HELP KIDS BEAT CANCER. You can give kids with cancer and their families hope and strength in the face of helplessness and despair. You can establish support programs in your churches, schools and communities. You can reach out to those still fighting cancer or those who have lost a child to cancer. You can contribute to the treatment of a child with cancer. You can sponsor special events for children with cancer.

Remember: A hundred years from now it will not matter how much money you have in the bank, what kind of car you drive or what sort of house you live in. But the world may be different, because you were important in the life of a child. BE A CANCER WARRIOR. BE THE VOICE OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER.