Matthew Walker was 12 when a baseball-sized lump appeared on his neck.
The diagnosis from doctors nearly brought Dion and Angela Walker to their knees. Their sweet son, who loved cars, paintball, and video games, had cancer.
The Louisville, Ky., family isn't alone in fighting their battle. In fact, 175,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year. To help gain attention to these numbers, September is observed as Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
The most common form of cancer found in children is leukemia, the type of cancer Matthew was diagnosed with.
How can you help?
There are many ways to help families that are dealing with a child's cancer diagnosis. Here are four ideas:
1. Help someone you know.
If you know someone whose child is currently facing cancer treatment, consider a meal train or gift cards for gas or to local stores that carry a variety of food and personal items. Send cards and activities for the family to do while in the hospital or at home between treatments. If there are siblings, also send them cards and care items. Cancer is difficult for the entire family and very hard for siblings to understand.
2. Donate to a nonprofit.
Donations to reputable organizations -- both local and national -- can help finance research, awareness, and family support. Often parents have to take time off work unpaid, and travel long distances for treatment -- which requires hotel stays, extra gas, and wear-and-tear on vehicles. If the family has more than one child, they may also be struggling with additional childcare expenses. (See below for ideas on where to give!)
3. Volunteer with a hospital.
Children with cancer spend a lot of time in the hospital. Consider reaching out to your local hospital and asking what they need. Often times they will request cards, a toy drive for new and unopened toys, and craft supplies. A toy or donation drive is a great way to teach your own children about giving back while also raising awareness about childhood cancer in your community.
4. Join the bone marrow registry.
It’s easy to add your DNA to the bone marrow registry. Just sign up on Be the Match’s website and the organization will send you a cheek swab kit in the mail to get a sample of your DNA. It's free and the effort is worth it.
Just ask the Walker family. Matthew has been cancer-free since 2017, when a college student from Erie, Pa., donated his bone marrow to Matthew.
Billy Santoro, now 21, had added his name and DNA to the Be the Match registry during an on-campus bone marrow drive at Penn State Behrend. A few months later Billy received a phone call that his bone marrow was a match to a 12-year-old with leukemia. It turned out to be Matthew.
“The bone marrow drive at Penn State Behrend saved my son’s life,” Dion said. “Because of that drive, because of Billy, my son is still here and, for that, we’re thankful every day.”
 Billy Santoro and Matthew Walker |
By the Numbers: Childhood Cancer
- 175:000: The number of children ages 14 and under diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide.
- 1: Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy for U.S. children.
- 80: The percent of U.S. childhood cancer patients who now become long-term survivors.
- 420,000: The number of childhood cancer survivors living in the U.S., with many more around the world.
--St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Where to give:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is a national childhood cancer foundation dedicated to raising funds for research into new treatments and cures for all children battling cancer.
Family Reach Foundation
Family Reach is a national nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the financial burden of cancer. Working with more than 300 hospitals and cancer centers nationwide, they provide immediate financial assistance, education, and navigation to families before they hit critical breaking points.
Jourdan Card is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Centreville-South Riding, Va., and Kara Murphy is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Erie, Pa.
