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To declare September 2019 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Columbus
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WHEREAS, childhood cancer is the number one cause of death from disease among children; and
WHEREAS, 1 in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed by their 20th birthday, and;
WHEREAS, 43 children per day or 15,780 children are diagnosed with cancer annually in the U.S., and;
WHEREAS, there are approximately 40,000 children on active treatment at any given time, and;
WHEREAS the average age of diagnosis is 6 years old, compared to 66 years for adults’ cancer diagnosis, and;
WHEREAS, on average there’s been a 0.6 percent increase in incidence per year since the mid 1970’s resulting in an overall incidence increase of 24 percent over the last 40 years, and;
WHEREAS, two-thirds of childhood cancer patients will have chronic health conditions as a result of their treatment toxicity, with one quarter being classified as severe to life-threatening, and;
WHEREAS, approximately one half of childhood cancer families rate the associated financial toxicity due to out-of-pocket expenses as considerable to severe, and;
WHEREAS, in the last 20 years only four new drugs have been approved by the FDA to specifically treat childhood cancer and;
WHEREAS, hundreds of non-profit organizations at the local and national level including the Friends of Faith Pruden Foundation are helping children with cancer and their families cope through educational, emotional and financial support, and;
WHEREAS, researchers and healthcare professionals work diligently dedicating their expertise to treat and cure children with cancer, and;
WHEREAS, too many children are affected by this deadly disease and more must be done to raise awareness and find a cure.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize the importance of Childhood Awareness Month raising awareness regarding childhood cancer in Columbus.