This being Pediatric Cancer Awareness month has been a very
sobering month for me. A friend of mine, who is also extended family, has a
child with Cancer. Now, I’ve had a run in with cancer before, my older brother
fought it a few years back. But since Becky, my friend, has been posting things
about her daughter, Kinley, I have definitely become more aware. Kin is 12
years old and has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a big scary name for a big
scary disease. When Becky posted little
by little about how Kinley was doing I was always concerned but said a prayer
and kept moving. But lately she has been having some toxicity issues with the
Chemo. These stories are very scary for me, the adult across the country who is
a friend and does not have cancer. I can’t imagine how Becky feels let alone
Kinley.
This month Becky has posted so many facts about Pediatric
Cancer. She has shared other kids Facebook pages and blogs. Everyday my heart
breaks a little more. I wish I could magically cure them all. I wish there was
a solution, an easy fix. I feel guilty for mentioning my crummy day because it
certainly wasn’t full of chemotherapy or not being able to walk or forgetting
my speech from the toxicity of the chemo. It wasn’t watching my child suffer or
being asked to stay away from my suffering baby because the chemo could hurt
me. My life is unicorns, sparkles, and butterflies compared to these children
and their parent’s.
I started to like these suppose pages and found that daily
there are children who “earn their wings”. Obviously, Cancer kills but somehow
I thought there was a better handle on this craziness. There isn’t. Do you know
how much of the research funds go to this cause? Well, let me start by telling
you that 4.6 billion dollars of the federal budget goes to The National Cancer Institute.
Breast Cancer gets 12%, Prostate Cancer gets 7%, and (here’s the kicker) all 12
of the major groups of pediatric cancers combined receives less than 3%. Where
is the justice in this? These are kids getting cancer. I don’t understand.
Anyway, my heart has been so heavy on this topic. I feel
like I’m being pulled on this one by God to assist in some way. I just haven’t
figured out what I’m being asked to do.
On a different note, I think I am going to start a small
business. Details to follow. Keep posted. I have a talent and I think I can
make money doing it. Doing my market research on it and once I determine if
there is a market for this then I will spill the beans!