WHEREAS, September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and every little gesture of support counts; from visiting children’s hospitals to donating teddy bears to making socks for little patients’ feet, giving a little bit of one’s time is just as appreciated as giving part of one’s paycheck for the cause of researching childhood cancers; and
WHEREAS, Across the world, a child is diagnosed with cancer every 2 minutes. Each year, approximately 16,000 children between birth and age 19 are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. More than 40,000 children are treated for cancer each year. Approximately 1 in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists cancer as the leading cause of death by disease in children and adolescents under age 14 in the United States. There are over a dozen types of childhood cancers, and numerous subtypes make it challenging to find cures for every form of childhood cancer. Most childhood cancer survivors have long-term health issues due to the treatments they received; by the time they are in their 30s and 40s, more than 95% have a chronic health problem, and 80% have severe or life-threatening conditions; and
WHEREAS, Adults lose an average of 15 years of life to cancer, but children lose an average of 71 years of life to cancer. The average age of diagnosis of childhood cancer patients is 6 years old. Despite this comparatively massive loss of productive years, only 4% of United States federal funding is solely dedicated to childhood cancer research; and
WHEREAS, Despite the significant unmet medical need, pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to develop drugs appropriate for children with cancer because it requires making an investment in products that are unlikely to cover the high costs associated with their research, development, marketing, and distribution. Only 3 drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat any type of pediatric cancer since the 1980s; and
WHEREAS, On June 5, 2018, the “Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2015 or the Childhood Cancer STAR Act” was signed into law. The STAR Act focuses on maximizing childhood cancer survivors’ quality of life, moving childhood cancer research forward, and helping children get access to life-saving treatments; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia is fortunate to have two of the top children’s cancer hospitals in the world, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, who continuously advance the study and treatment of childhood cancer; and
WHEREAS, No More Kids with Cancer is a nonprofit research accelerator focused exclusively on the discovery of safer, less toxic and more effective treatments for children with cancer. Its creation was inspired by Naya Summy, a remarkable young woman who raised nearly $500,000 for pediatric cancer research and cures while being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for brain cancer before passing away at the age of 11; and
WHEREAS, On October 13, 2018, No More Kids with Cancer will host The Purple Ball in The Navy Yard of Philadelphia. The event will celebrate survivors of childhood cancer, honor trailblazers making change in childhood cancer, and raise money and awareness for groundbreaking childhood cancer research. All of the proceeds will be directed towards childhood cancer research; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes September 2018 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Philadelphia in honor of childhood cancer patients, care givers, survivors, and those children who have succumbed to the disease.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to No More Kids with Cancer, further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.
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