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St. Baldrick’s Foundation

CHILDHOOD CANCER & NEUROBLASTOMA FACTS

Leukemia - Leukemias are the most common childhood cancers. They account for about 33% of all childhood cancers. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are the most common types of leukemia in children.

Brain and nervous system cancers - Brain and other nervous system cancers are the second most common cancers in children, making up about 21% of childhood cancers.

Neuroblastoma - Neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that starts in certain types of nerve cells found in a developing embryo or fetus. This type of cancer occurs in infants and young children. It is most often found during the first year of life. It is rarely found in children older than 10. This tumor can start anywhere but usually occurs in the belly (abdomen) and is noticed as swelling. It can also cause bone pain and fever. It accounts for about 7% of childhood cancers.

Wilms tumor - Wilms tumor is a cancer that starts in one, or rarely, both kidneys. It is most often found in children about 3 years old, and is uncommon in children older than age 6.

Lymphomas - Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma (sometimes called Hodgkin disease, Hodgkin's disease, or Hodgkin's lymphoma), are cancers that start in lymph tissues, such as the tonsils, lymph nodes, and thymus.

Rhabdomyosarcoma - Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children.

Retinoblastoma - Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye. It is rare, accounting for just under 3% of childhood cancers

Bone cancers - Primary bone cancers (cancers that start in the bones) occur most often in children and adolescents.

Osteosarcoma is uncommon, accounting for almost 3% of all new childhood cancer cases in the United States. It often causes no pain or symptoms until swelling starts, but sometimes there is bone pain that keeps getting worse. .

Ewing sarcoma is a less common primary bone cancer which can cause bone pain. It is mostly found in adolescents. It accounts for a little more than 1% of childhood cancers
.

Neuroblastoma:

• Approximately 500 to 1,000 children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the United States each year.

• Doctors have known about neuroblastoma for approximately 35 years.

• Neuroblastoma is primarily diagnosed in children ages 14 and under, with most cases in children younger than 5 years.

• The cause of neuroblastoma is unknown, and it is more likely to occur in males than females.

• Neuroblastoma is difficult to diagnose in small children, and its progression is often rapid and painful.

• Neuroblastoma accounts for 8 percent of childhood cancer cases, but is responsible for 15 percent of all childhood cancer deaths.

• One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

• Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

• Each child in the U.S. diagnosed with cancer receives approximately one-sixth of the federal research support allocated to each patient afflicted with AIDS. Yet in 2004, 48 new cases of pediatric AIDS were diagnosed vs. more than 12,000 pediatric cancer cases.

• Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis

• Cancer accounts for the greatest number of disease deaths of children in the United States and kills more children per year than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, asthma and AIDS combined

Sources: American Cancer Society, Band of Parents, Texas Oncology Group

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_6x_Children_and_Cancer.asp http://www.bandofparents.org/neuroblastoma.html
http://www.texasoncology.com/about.aspxid=2750&terms=neuroblastoma

C.O.L.E.'s FOUNDATION

C.O.L.E.'s FOUNDATION
Caring Openly, Loving Eternally

In need of prayer, please click picture to go to C.O.L.E.'S

Grandpa John's Prayer for His Little Buddies

I hear no voice, I feel no touch,
I see no glory bright;
But yet I know that God is near,
In darkness as in light.
God watches ever by my side,
And hears my whispered prayer:
A God of love for a little child
Both night and day does care --- Anonymous

Angel's Honor Roll- A Forever Dedication

- Our Angels -

Austin Melgar, Courtney Saunders, Cooper Riley Proscia, Emily Adamson, Victoria Houston, John Eric Bartels, Kathy Ann Wilkinson, Alara Curran, Spencer Dolling, Marissa Monroe, Olivia Weber, Alexa Aigner, Joe Daily, Ryan Willians, Janie Kashino, Dustin Cobb, Alyssa Chappell, Addison Whipple, Amber Mastey, Katie Krize, Gustavo-Alexis, Kelvin Harper, Maggie Achuff, Kristin Hope, Kahlilla Blyss, Arden Quinn Bucher, Douglas Swift, Max Mikulak, Eliza S, Brandon Loose, Kody Edwards, Brody Hurt, Jay Jay LeBoeuf, Kyah Milne, Nicholas Pagano, Trooper Dante Tareboreli, Carter Wax, Zachary Finestone, Cora McClenahan, Little Roy Gutierrez, Chloe Smith, *Cody Johnson*, Emilio Gravez, Jacob Stovall, Noah Tyler Bell, Shu Qinpet (pet name Xinxin), Jenna Mussolini and Owen Lea, Carson Clark, Juan Santiago Wall, Erik Ludwinski, Layla Grace Marsh, Samuel Thomas Hutchison, Sydney Marie Dudley, Sophie Atay (And Our Big Warrior hero 1st Lt Joseph Helton, USAF - 8 Sept 2009),

-Race Dedication-

  • In Memory of: Samuel Thomas Hutchison, Layla Grace Marsh, Sydney Marie Dudley and Sophie Atay.
  • In Honor of: Jessica Trotter
  • Next Race - TBD
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Gj's Buddies & Angels - Lighting the Way

SAVE THE DATE AND JOIN ME


For more widgets please visit www.yourminis.com

Circle the Lake for the Cure

Circle the Lake for the Cure
Houghton Lake MI - 36 hours for the Cure

Email Grandpa John

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Belated Update to Angels’ Listing, Son’s Deployment

Belated Update to Angels’ Listing - Surely as time passes, or so it seems, our Angelic Choir continues growing.

The entire Angelic choir was on hand to welcome into heaven our newest Angels: Alyssa Chappell, Addison Whipple, Amber Mastey, Katie Krize, Gustavo-Alexis, Kelvin Harper, Maggie Achuff and Kristin Hope please sing a sweet refrain most pleasing to our ears. May we receive comfort from the fact that all of you are now pain free & sitting by the feet of our Heaven creator for all eternity. Please save a seat for us as we wait our turn to join you. My condolences and prayers for all of the families during these most difficult of times.

Sons’ Deployment - As I ponder the thought that my son, SRA Raschke (soon to be Tech Sgt) will shortly be deploying, a fear grips my soul, and many “what ifs” enter my mind. Yet, I normally do not live in fear, nor entertain such “what if” thoughts. Therefore, I will do my best not to go there now. However, as an expression of my love for him, I offer to you an open letter to my son Senior Airman Raschke.

Dear Son,

It seems like just yesterday I took you to Ted Nugent’s “Camp for Kids”, you were just 12 years old. How proud I was to see you standing by Ted’s side as you had a bow and arrow shoot off with the Motor City Mad man himself. Do you remember? You scored a “Bulls eye, in the deer silhouette, while Ted shot the outer ring (I may be biased, but to this day I really think he missed). Oh, how I cherish such memories. I guess that is one of the blessings of growing older.

Now as you ready for deployment I wish I had words of advice that would help ease any ill feeling you may have. Well, for once I must admit I don’t, I am speechless, except for this: Rely on your Training and Each Other, Never Quit, Never Under Estimate the enemy, and Do Not Hate them. I say this because that is what makes us so much different than they; if possible in war do all you can to rise to a higher moral plain and protect those whom you have sworn a Holy oath to God to do. Anything else I might be able to say would be inadequate.

However, if God were to grant me one wish it would be that I was still in uniform. I’d love to join you and stand by your side and fight the good fight together as father and son (and maybe in some small way we are). Alas though, the circle of life is almost complete; my son this journey is yours and your teams’ to make. Daniel, you have blest me in so many ways. Please know that you are loved as I know I am.

Son, thank you for your sacrifices and for protecting us from those who would do us harm. I ask God’s Blessings and His protection for you and your brethren daily. I love you.

Dad


"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow."
Dorothy Thompson