I know that everyone is aware of cancer, and that it is has touched far, far too many people. But childhood cancer is a bit different in many ways, including how it is researched and funded (hint: not well at all) and that’s why there is Donna Day, which is today.

That’s Donna on the right. Donna died on October 19, 2009 after 31 months of treatment for her rare brain tumor. If you want to know what parenting a child with cancer is like, read Donna’s Cancer Story here, as told by her mother, Mary Tyler Mom, a friend of mine from ChicagoNow and Listen to Your Mother. Warning: have tissues at the ready. Boxes of them, perhaps.

In addition to telling Donn’a story, Donna’s mom is raising awareness and dollars through St. Baldrick’s, the organization that is America’s number one private funder of pediatric cancer research.

This blog is called Mom Factually because I use facts to make sense of the world. There is nothing as senseless as childhood cancer, but these facts from the St. Baldrick’s website explain why researching cures and treatments specifically for childhood cancer is important:

• Childhood cancers receive a mere 4% of federal funding for cancer research in the United States
• Early diagnosis of childhood cancer is uncommon. 80% of kids have had their cancer spread to other parts of their bodies before it was diagnosed.
• Since childhood cancers are rarely related to lifestyle factors little can be done to prevent them.
• There are some cancers that only occur in kids under five-years-old and others that are most prevalent in teenagers.

For 80% of kids lucky enough to survive their cancers the impact of aggressive treatments on growing bodies leads to chronic health problems and even life-threatening conditions later in life.
This is the fourth annual Donna Day but the first year for it that this blog has existed and I’m happy to join with the many bloggers who are helping spread awareness of the facts and how people can help.

One way is to donate money to support the Donna’s Good Things head shaving event at the Candlelite Chicago. Information is here. You can choose to to donate to the Donna’s Good Things team, or choose a specific shavee to support. I donated in January, before the daughter of Sarah Zematis, another Listen To Your Mother friend, was diagnosed with a mass in her brain, making that “every three minutes” stat even more real. Long before her girl was admitted to the hospital, Sarah had already planned to donate her fabulous ponytail. Now, she has left the fate of her hair up to the people. If you think she should donate her ponytail as originally planned donate here. If you think she should shave it all off instead donate here.

My thoughts and my funds are with Sarah and Mary Tyler Mom and all the other moms.

“I have only seen one thing more relentless than cancer. Mothers.” – Vashni Nilon

Prior post: Pi Day facts, and why Pi Day 2015 is epic

Don’t miss a post! Please subscribe to Mom Factually’s completely safe, spam-free email list in the box in the top right corner of the page!

Please like Mom Factually on Facebook. You can also find Mom Factually on Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.