Here are some eye-opening data points courtesy of our friends at the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation:

• Cancer is the NUMBER ONE cause of death by disease in children, cutting short the lives of more children under the age of 20 than any other disease.
• TWENTY PERCENT of children who are diagnosed with cancer dies.
• SIXTY PERCENT of children who survive cancer suffer from long-term side effects.
• The average age of a child diagnosed with cancer is just SIX years old.
• Every school day, nearly 50 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States.  More than 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and over 40,000 children and adolescents currently are being treated for cancer.
• Among the 12 major types of childhood cancers, leukemias (blood cell cancers) and cancers of the brain and central nervous system account for more than half of the newly-diagnosed cases.  About 1/3 of childhood cancers are leukemias.
• In the United States, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group below 65yrs old.
• Cancer is the LEADING CAUSE of death by disease under the age of 15 in the United States.
• Many of the principles of therapy used in treating adults with cancer were first tested and developed at the pediatric level.
• 25% of elementary schools in the United States has a child with cancer.
• The average high school has two students who are current or former cancer patients.

Despite these data, childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded.  Part of our mission is to raise funds to help improve these statistics and help children simply enjoy being children.  We do this through grassroots fundraising efforts of volunteers as well as through the fundraising efforts of our Team Endure to Cure members around the world.  Please consider joining the fight against pediatric cancer today.  All positive contributions combine to form a brighter day for many.