Contact:
Samantha Higgins
Public Relations Director
(803) 254-5996
For Immediate Release
Kick Off September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
Columbia, SC – August 25, 2006: September is nationally recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month not only in South Carolina but across the country and on Friday, August 25th at 12:30 pm, Children’s Chance and Palmetto Health Richland will host the annual South Carolina Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Kick Off event to be held at The Warren Atrium located on the first floor of Palmetto Health Richland’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The event is free and open to the public featuring a past, present, and future theme, including remarks from families who have experienced the trauma of having a child with cancer in an attempt to create awareness and education surrounding pediatric cancer, which is the number one disease killer of children ages 0-14.
Janine Bryan, organizer for the event, lost her son Matthew in 2002 to cancer (to read about Matthew’s amazing story, please visit www.childrenschance.org), takes a look back and explains, “Children battling cancer are the most amazing people in the world. Just when life is supposed to be full of fun and games, their world is yanked from under them. While friends and activities pass them by, they get up each morning, prepared to get poked with needles, medication, surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Few realize what they endure. Spend a day with them; they will inspire you to never complain again.” Janine Bryan is a licensed counselor, author of Hope for Hepoblastoma and Holding on to Matthew, and also an advocate of promoting childhood cancer awareness and the early warning signs.
Activities will include opening remarks from Dr. Ron Neuberg of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, brief stories from several families who have experienced having a child with cancer, including Janine Bryan and Coach White of USC, grandfather to Amber a pediatric cancer patient at Palmetto Health Richland, as well as remarks from Palmetto Health representatives and DeeAnn Jones, the Executive Director of Children’s Chance and mother of a child with cancer. Children with cancer and their families will join staff, volunteers, and board members of both Children’s Chance and Palmetto Health Richland, as well as local pediatricians and community members, to participate in the event.
Established in 1996, Children’s Chance is a non-profit organization that raises funds to assist SC children with cancer and their families. Children’s Chance is the only statewide organization that provides support focused solely on non-medical needs of children and families facing pediatric cancer, to include financial assistance for non-medical bills incurred during treatment, counseling services, teen support groups, and art therapy. To find out more information about Children’s Chance please call the office at (803) 254-5996 or visit us online at www.childrenschance.org. If you would like to feature a story about one of the families we serve in an effort to increase awareness for childhood cancer, please contact Samantha Higgins at (803) 254-5996 or visit the Meet the Families section of our website at: www.childrenschance.org!
*We are asking all media outlets to please publicize as much information about pediatric cancer as possible in an effort to increase statewide awareness leading up to and throughout the month of September, which is nationally recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!