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To declare September 2022 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Columbus and to encourage the residents of Columbus and Central Ohio to support families impacted by childhood cancer.
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WHEREAS, childhood cancer is the number one cause of death from disease among children; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, each year, 16,790 children or 46 children are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States - 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with childhood cancer in the United States before their 20th birthday; and
WHEREAS, approximately 40,000 children are actively receiving treatment at any given time - the average age for a child being diagnosed with childhood cancer is 6 years old, compared with 66 years for adults’ being diagnosed with cancer - sadly 80% of childhood cancer patients receive a late diagnosis, often being diagnosed with metastic disease due to the delay; and
WHEREAS, since the mid 1970’s there has been an average increase of 0.6 percent in the incidence of childhood cancer each year, resulting in an overall increase of 24 percent over the last 40 years - two-thirds of childhood cancer patients will have chronic health conditions as a result of their treatment toxicity, one quarter of them will be classified as severe to life-threatening - half of childhood cancer families will be faced with significant out-of-pocket expenses as a result of this illness; and
WHEREAS, only four new drugs have been approved by the FDA to specifically treat childhood cancer over the last 20 years - the National Cancer Institute recognizes the unique research needs of childhood cancer and the associated need to increase funding for childhood cancer - there are hundreds of nonprofit organizations at the local and national level to include the Friends of the Faith Prudent Foundation which have been helping children and the families of children impacted by cancer to cope with the emotional, educational, and financial burden of childhood cancer - members of the research and healthcare communities have also been working to treat and to find a cure for childhood cancer; and
WHEREAS, there are too many children affected by this deadly disease; more must be done to raise awareness and to find a cure; the new Ohio Gold Ribbon Awareness License Plates that benefit the Center for Childhood Cancer at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital represent a way to support the fight against childhood cancer, now therefore;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby proclaim September 2022 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Columbus; moreover, this Council does hereby encourage the residents of Columbus and Central Ohio to observe Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and to find ways to support families and children impacted by childhood cancer.