I met some very amazing people recently. Their mission is to raise awareness about pediatric cancer, its survivors, its victims, and the families in the midst of the battle. They are the Tyler Robinson Foundation.
The Tyler Robinson Foundation was created in honor of a very brave young man, Tyler Robinson, who lost his battle with pediatric cancer, in his teens, on March 4, 2013. He had become friends with the band Imagine Dragons. And it was the band’s relationship with Tyler that caused the band to create the Tyler Robinson Foundation. Here’s a video about how the foundation got started and the effect Tyler’s life had.
The foundation has an amazing goal. They help smooth the financial burdens for families who are fighting pediatric cancer. The Robinson family knows first-hand the financial burden a fight with cancer causes. They know the stress and strain that can add to an already stressful and frightening situation. So, the foundation seeks the best way to help the family with the family’s financial burdens. The foundation reaches out to as many families as it can.
The average treatment cost for a child with cancer is more than $34, 000. This strains even the most prepared family. Bankruptcy, foreclosure, and other catastrophic economic stressors can cause the family structure to fracture from the strain. The foundation seeks to ease these financial burdens, so that families stay intact. Many times, even if the child survives the treatment, the family unit does not survive intact. The Tyler Robinson foundation is asking for a donation of $4 to help these families with their financial struggles.
Today is the anniversary of Tyler’s passing. As part of honoring his memory, the Tyler Robinson Foundation is trying to raise a million voices to raise awareness of pediatric cancer. According to TheTruth365. org, more than 2,500 children die from pediatric cancers every year in the US. And more than 13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Despite these alarming numbers, pediatric cancer only receives 4 percent of the funding dedicated to fighting cancer. And while the death rate from pediatric cancers has dropped significantly over the past 40 years, the funding over the past decade has also declined. This leads to the stagnation in the development of new treatments.
It’s any parent’s worst nightmare to have to bury a child – no matter the reason. But with childhood cancer, children are dying because promising treatments aren’t being developed. Those treatments aren’t being developed because there isn’t funding. By bringing the discussion of pediatric cancer to the attention of society, The Tyler Robinson Foundation hopes those funding cancer research will increase the funding for pediatric cancer research – even a 1 percent increase will mean an additional $50 million in funding. And that funding could mean the cure for children who currently have no hope.
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital is another champion fighting pediatric cancer. We’ve all seen the St. Jude fundraising balloons at stores. My brother works for St. Jude’s as a researcher. He spoke with me about the philosophy St. Jude’s has for families dealing with pediatric cancer. For families receiving St. Jude’s pediatric cancer protocols, the family doesn’t pay for treatment, food, housing, or even transportation.
Without a place like St. Jude’s, there just isn’t hope,” my brother said. “Employees of St. Jude’s are some of the biggest donors, because they see it (what pediatric cancer does) everyday. Here you feel like you’re a part of a team that’s really trying to do something important. Donating gives hope in a heart breaking situation.
Both of these organizations are fighting a long, expensive battle. Join them. Click here to donate to the Tyler Robinson Foundation or here to donate to St. Judes. And spread the word — together we can fight cancer and win.
