With the Spring time coming into view, it's important to keep the fight for a cure going. With the birds humming and the sun out, there's tons of different things everyone, both near and far, can do to help children and their families all while making people more aware of the impact this disease has on people everywhere.
You have the power to do so much and this article has some great ideas that can create fun memories and make a difference.
Shave your head in solidarity with our young warriors
Spring time is a great time for a new haircut!
Kids fighting cancer did not choose to lose all their hair and change their entire lives. Since you have that choice and the power to decide what happens to your hair, why not show our warriors that they're not alone in this battle? You could throw an event where people can donate to childhood cancer and can make it even more fun by giving the person that donated the most the honor of cutting your hair! Children need to know that they have supporters near and far and we're sure they would be grateful to have you on their side.
Fundraise to help give families peace of mind during their child's battle with cancer
Raising funds is important to continue the fight against childhood cancer!
Not only is fundraising good for the family but also helps to encourage the child to keep fighting to survive. Fundraising can take many forms: from starting a Facebook fundraiser to starting a GoFundMe for your favorite nonprofits in the fight for a cure. Crowdfunding is a new and exciting way to raise funds and gather people together in order to make a child's battle with cancer less stressful. Many have been successful in raising thousands of dollars for treatments and hospital stays. When money is left over, may times it is given to fund childhood cancer research. So not only will you be helping families get through this tough ordeal, you'll also be helping to fund research that could save many lives.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. " – Margaret Mead
Share your story about your experience with childhood cancer
Everyone has experience childhood cancer in some form: whether its something you personally went through or someone you know that was affected.
Your story could inspire others to advocate for more childhood cancer research. Making others aware of the effects of cancer on children will not only save lives but makes the world a much better place to live. In fact, Joshua's story was shared on St Jude as part of their Inspire series. His parents and Joshua's Wish founders Trent and Labrina Solomon recounted their short time with Joshua and the many memories they have of him. Share your story throughout anytime you feel comfortable! You never know who'll hear or read it and the impact it'll have on them.
Get to Know childhood cancer survivors and their stories
Learn about other's experiences with childhood cancer.
Stories inspire hope in the minds of listeners and promotes change to take place. It also encourages you to be more empathetic towards our young warriors and their family and friends. When one child suffers, an entire village feels it. Living in the digital age, we have endless options to hear and learn more about what children and their families are going through or have went through in the battle. Youtube is a great source to start with. You can even visit some blogs families have written about their journey. By listening to their experiences, you keep their stories alive and prospering into the future.
Donate to your favorite nonprofits helping children fight cancer
Take action and put money where your mouth is!
We've all heard that saying and it rings true for every child suffering with childhood cancer. Donate to your favorite nonprofits helping children fight cancer. Every amount counts and goes toward helping children and their families. More importantly, always do your research before donating to any nonprofit organization to make sure your donation goes toward causing actual change in the lives of children and their families. Less than 4% of federal funding is directed towards childhood cancer research. Donate to nonprofits like Joshua's Wish to ensure this percentage grows and become a Joshua's Friend today on www.joshuaswish.org.
Now it's time to do the work!
Spreading awareness about childhood cancer can be done in many different ways. All that matter is that you take action towards making a difference. About 400,000 children, aged 19 and under, are diagnosed with cancer each year. Those children deserve to live a long and happy life. With your support and dedication, we're sure that we can help find a cure to create more smiles and memories for our young warriors.