Awareness & Advocacy
Awareness
Childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer is often visible in ways that are hard to miss, including hair loss, feeding tubes and the physical side effects of treatment. Less visible are the emotional and psychological effects, which impact the entire family and often last long after treatment ends. When a child begins to look well again, many assume life has returned to normal. For most families, however, it’s not about returning to normal, it’s about finding a way to move forward in this new reality.
That’s why Childhood Cancer Awareness month is so important. It gives us an opportunity to shine a light on the true impact of childhood cancer, to make visible that which cannot easily be seen or understood.
In doing so, we come together in solidarity with families, helping to reduce the isolation that so many report during this experience.
There are two significant awareness dates in the childhood cancer calendar. February 15th is International Childhood Cancer Day and September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, when we run our annual Light it up Gold Campaign. Both of these give us a chance to show what it means to live with and beyond childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer.
Did you know that the gold ribbon is the international symbol of childhood cancer? We #GoGold because our children are more precious than gold.
Advocacy
Advocacy is at the heart of our mission to understand, support, empower and give voice to children, adolescents and young adults with cancer, survivors and their families, through their cancer experience and beyond.
Through our advocacy work we ensure that survivorship and the long-term impacts of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, which may impact both physical health and emotional wellbeing, are recognised and supported in both policy and practice.
We strive to ensure that more children and young people survive childhood cancer and thrive as adults through early diagnosis, access to less toxic treatments and a holistic approach to support for survivors and their families, who are dealing with the long-term effects.
We are members of Childhood Cancer International, Childhood Cancer International Europe and PanCare (the Pan European Network for Care of Survivors after Childhood and Adolescent Cancer), giving us an opportunity to to contribute to important conversations around survivorship research and care.
We are dedicated to raising public awareness of the many issues affecting children, adolescents, young adults with cancer, survivors and their families by influencing policy at national level to ensure equal access to the most up to date treatment protocols, research and supportive services.
How can you get involved?
Childhood Cancer Ireland is dedicated to giving voice to children and young people with cancer, survivors, their families and bereaved families.
Please contact us to learn more about how you can get involved.