Monday, September 1, 2014

Stand Together.

If you didn't already know this, September is both Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In other words, September is an IMPORTANT month. Here's why:

Childhood Cancer Facts

From The American Cancer Society:

  • About 10,450 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
  • .Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children (after accidents
  • The most common forms of cancer in children are:
    • Leukemia
    • Brain and other central nervous system tumors
    • Neuroblastoma
    • Wilms tumor
    • Lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin)
    • Rhabdomyosarcoma
    • Retinoblastoma
    • Bone cancer (including osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma)
  • Less than 5% of the federal government’s total funding for cancer research is dedicated to childhood cancers each year.

Suicide Facts

From SAVE
  • Suicide takes the lives of nearly 40,000 Americans every year.
  • For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the second leading cause of death.
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • Suicide can be prevented through education and public awareness.

But there is something you REALLY need to know about both childhood cancer AND suicide: WE CAN DO SOMETHING. I get it. We aren't all millionaires, and we don't have loads of time on our side. But we have a heart. We have (or most of us do) the ability to type and to write. We can spread awareness. We can make a small difference. We can let people know that we will fight. 

I am going to dedicate my September to these two causes. It won't be every day, and it won't be anything huge...sometimes it will be as simple as posting a link to a related organization. But I figure, I can at least do SOMETHING to show my support. One thing I plan on doing is to donate toys to my local Ronald McDonald house....I also am going to participate in the Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness Walk.

There are so many ways for you to get involved. Stand up with me. If you need ideas, talk to me. My mind is buzzing. I will be posting updates on my social media accounts of what I am doing....not to brag, not to boast or to convince you all that I'm this great person- rather, I will be posting to spread the love, spread the awareness. None of us can end childhood cancer or suicide alone. We must do it together. 

So let's do it.

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