100) Community

I almost don’t know where to begin. My writing in the last little while has slowed to a trickle. I have things to write about, but I haven’t felt motivated to start.

One of the upsides of the world of childhood cancer is the community. Until I get to know someone well, I’m normally shy and introverted. In spite of that, I feel quite comfortable talking to other parents we meet on clinic days, or at our parental support group. I can’t speak for everyone in this community, but I feel a connection with other parents that we meet. There’s a shared experience of having a child with a life-threatening illness. Having to inject, and administer terrible drugs with horrible side-effects to your child. The worry, the fear, the struggle to accept that your old life is gone while trying to navigate your new normal. I meet other people who are walking through the same hell as me, and I feel a camaraderie. I don’t necessarily have to know people well to connect, and root for them. Their kids’ successes are your own successes, and their kids’ setbacks are your own setbacks. Everyone I’ve met would be welcome in my home for coffee or tea if they were in a bad state, and they’d be invited to share a meal and good company if I knew they were alone for a special day, or holiday.

A little boy we know passed away from cancer back in March, and I’ve been pretty upset about it. We didn’t know him & his family overly well, but we didn’t need to in order to share a sense of loss. We only met them a number of times when our clinic days happened to overlap, and also at a POGO Christmas party, but I think about their family almost every day. I’m sad that a family has to move forward without their little boy. I’m also angry about how underfunded childhood cancer research is. Childhood cancer only receives 5% of all cancer research funding in Canada, yet cancer is the leading cause of non-accidental death in children. We need to properly fund childhood cancer research. Most chemo drugs were developed for adults, and given to children in smaller doses. There are horrible long-lasting, long-term, and late side effects of using these drugs.

Kids shouldn’t get cancer, and they most assuredly shouldn’t die from it. We need to do better for our children. If you are donating to a cancer charity, please think about making a donation that will specifically go toward childhood cancer research.