Thirteen organizations have come together for National Childhood Cancer Awareness month by launching an initiative to help fight childhood cancer. The Stop Childhood Cancer Alliance was created to increase awareness of childhood cancer and enhancing support for the young people fighting this disease as well as the clinicians and researchers who are helping them. The alliance is comprised of organizations with a common goal -- to care for children living with cancer and to cure the disease.

Cancer is a battle too many of our young children and teenagers must face every day. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children from birth to age 15. Each year, more than 10,000 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed—approximately 46 children and adolescents every day.

We’ve made great strides in the search for a cure for childhood cancer over the past 25 years, but we have to do much more to save the lives of countless children. These wonderful organizations within the Stop Childhood Cancer Alliance are stimulating research, caring for kids with cancer, raising awareness of the disease – and want others to join in the fight to save lives.

Founding members of the Stop Childhood Cancer Alliance include: The Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Aflac Inc., Atlanta Ronald McDonald House, Blue Skies, Brain Tumor Foundation for Children, Camp Sunshine, CURE Childhood Cancer, Curing Kids Cancer, Georgia Cancer Coalition, Ian’s Friends Foundation, Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Lighthouse Family Retreat.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a proclamation at an event just for children battling cancer and to declare September as Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Throughout each September, the initiative hopes to utilize traditional and social media to encourage people to learn more about childhood cancer and to get involved by educating others, volunteering or making donations through member organizations.

In addition to Georgia’s Governor and member organizations, celebrities like Ryan Seacrest and Cindy Crawford are lending their support to the cause through social media channels like Twitter and Facebook.

Every person you educate, every hour you volunteer and every dollar you donate makes a difference.

Thank you,

Howard Katzenstein, M.D. 

Director of the Innovative Therapy Program at the Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Director of Clinical Research at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Emory School of Medicine