Vicki Baker
Chances of winning the lottery: one in 175,000,00. Chances of a child getting cancer: one in 285. Each year the parents of approximately 16,000 children hear the devastating words, “Your child has cancer.” Every day 43 children are diagnosed with cancer and 12% of those do not survive. While survival rates for many types of childhood cancer have improved, for too many children cancer will shorten their lives much too soon.
That’s the state of childhood cancers today, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way to treating and defeating this disease. Dedicated to conquering this disease, Kiwanis Club members Martha Coleman and Mike Weaver are spearheading two upcoming community events to raise funds aimed at treatments and finding cures for cancer.
April 29, 2017: Bennett’s Bash in Hurst benefits St. Jude with dinner, unique silent auction items and live entertainment. The evening honors 21-month old Bennett, grandchild of Robson residents Martha and George Coleman, who lost his courageous battle against liver cancer. For more information contact [email protected] or 817-481-3116.
September 23, 2017: Denton’s Magical Night of Hope at Robson Ranch is a Denton county-wide fundraiser benefiting St. Jude. The premier event features dinner, live music, a silent auction and inspirational speakers. For more information contact: [email protected] or 940-391-9614.
You’ve learned what you can do. But now wonder “why support this hospital located in Tennesse? Simple. No child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay. Families never receive a bill for services; no family ever pays for treatments, hospitalizations, travel, lodging or food. St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude pushed the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80% over the past 50 years. It is at the forefront in research and develops more clinical trials than any other U.S. pediatric hospital. The hospital freely shares its groundbreaking discoveries with other treatment facilities around the world; nothing is proprietary. It serves as a focal point for consultations to regional and international doctors and hospitals. St. Jude is leading the pediatric cancer genome project helping to identify cancers at the genetic level leading to new cures. They are the coordinating center for the world’s largest resource for survivorship research, thus improving quality of life after cancer.
Across all ages, ethnic groups and socio-economics, cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease in children. But because of major treatment advances in recent decades more than 80% of children now survive five years or more. It costs $2.2 million dollars per day to operate St. Jude, and 75% of that comes from private donors. The care, love and hard work St. Jude puts into eliminating cancer is life-changing; it saves lives.
Supporters, like you, are helping bring St. Jude closer to the day when every child’s life can be saved.