Awareness

Today starts September...childhood cancer awareness month.  It's a month that, up until a couple years ago, held no special significance for me.  It used to be the month where I started feeling like I was back into a schedule...a month in which I looked forward to football, and the start of fall weather...a month that was kicked off with a nice long weekend, which somehow was so needed after only a couple weeks of work.  To be honest, I don't think I really was aware that it was anything more than September. 

Now, it's a month I really don't even need.  I don't need a month to be aware of childhood cancer.  I am aware of childhood cancer every day.  I'm aware every day of the year that I don't have a cute little boy running around and keeping me on my toes.  I'm aware every day of the year that I don't have that little boy to snuggle and comfort when he's sick or tired.  I'm aware every day of the year that childhood cancer stole almost all of his firsts from us...his first steps...his first words...his first days of school.

So no...I don't need a childhood cancer awareness month.  All of my friends that I've met through the monster that is childhood cancer don't need an awareness month.  In fact, we could probably use a break from being aware of childhood cancer.  But my former self, and all those like my former self, need this month.  We need to remind the world that childhood cancer exists, that it steals our children from us (whether they are survivors, current fighters, or angels...a normal childhood has been stolen).  We need to remind the world that the current treatments available for childhood cancer are not enough!  It's not enough for a child to be treated with simply a smaller dose of an adult treatment.  It's not enough for a child to be treated with something that was developed 25 years ago.  We need new treatments, and treatments developed specifically for children.

To achieve these goals, we need awareness...but awareness isn't enough.  We need ACTION.  That's what our goal is at A Monster's Mission.  We may not be a huge organization...we may not raise millions, or even thousands of dollars, but we are taking ACTION.  We are spreading awareness, and encouraging action.  We do this through our events like our annual blood drive, and our upcoming first annual foot golf tournament (shameless plug - get your tickets!!), even through our twelve days of giving we spread our story which spreads awareness and perhaps inspires people to ACT.

Let's make September childhood cancer awareness and ACTION month.  Do something...spread the word.  Donate blood (this is something you can do that doesn't cost anything other than a little time and a small prick of pain)...get signed up to be a bone marrow donor...if you are able, donate money to an organization devoted to research for pediatric cancer (A Monster's Mission, Sammy's Superheroes, Cure Search are just a few that come to mind)...share our story, or a story of another small fighter you know.  Let's show the world that our littlest fighters deserve our attention...let's make this month count! #gogold for Henry...#gogold for childhood cancer!