“Joe is our youngest of three. He was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, and he truly had a rough road. Neuroblastoma is an incredibly cruel cancer. He finished treatment in January 2017, and now, almost three years later, he’s doing beautifully. We are so grateful.”
This is just one mother’s voice among many — a parent who has watched her child fight a battle no family ever imagines facing.
“I’m going to play soccer and baseball in the fall,” Joe says now, post-treatment, dreaming ahead with the confidence of a child who has already faced more than most adults ever will.
I’ve heard the same statistics you probably have: 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every single day. One in 285 kids will be diagnosed before turning 20. For a long time, they were just numbers — distant facts meant for someone else’s reality.
Until one day, it was my child who became one of the 43.
I truly believed childhood cancer was rare. I assumed that kids who did get cancer would be fine, treated at the best hospitals without major complications. What I really believed was that children like mine didn’t get cancer.
I didn’t know there were childhood cancers with zero percent survival rates, or that some have no real treatment plans at all. I didn’t realize cancer could strike without any genetic history, or that a small body could be filled with disease while showing no symptoms.
It wasn’t until I officially became a “cancer mom” that I truly understood.
My healthy, athletic, never-been-sick 12-year-old son, Michael, was diagnosed with a rare pediatric sarcoma in April 2016. He passed away in August 2017 after the disease followed its devastating course.
Every September, the childhood cancer community observes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, symbolized by a gold ribbon, to shine a light on the realities families face every day. I had worked at Dunkin’ Brands since I was eight months pregnant with Michael. A few months ago, I approached Dunkin’ leadership with the idea of using September to bring awareness to childhood cancer. While many brands turn pink for breast cancer awareness, very few turn gold. I was ready with a business case, but instead I was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and even more ideas. The initiative was also embraced by our partner, Waze. This month, Dunkin’ will turn its social media channels gold to help raise awareness.
Awareness brings resources, support, and hope — but it also honors the families who live this fight every single day.
It honors Joey, who is six and battling neuroblastoma. Jane, who is three and has leukemia. Hannah and Bailey, both five, who became best friends during chemo. Cassie, who is 20 days into 30 days of radiation. And my daughter, Brooke, who must grow up without her brother.
This month, we honor their fight by going gold — by listening to their voices on our drive to work, adding gold ribbon frames to our Facebook photos, and making donations. To the families in treatment, to those living with the lifelong effects of the cure, and to those mourning the children they’ve lost: this month, we see you. We hear you. And we acknowledge that childhood cancer is real.
