March 2017 – myslantonlife

One of the most heartbreaking things in the world is a sick child. As infants, children don’t understand what’s wrong with them. As an adult, you can’t explain the sickness or disease to a kid and you can’t explain why it chose them. I remember getting awful stomach aches as a kid and wondering “why me?”

This week is Children’s Hospitals Week. The goal is to share how donations can help children get the treatment they need to live healthy lives into adulthood. I decided to research Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals because they are the most well-known and wide-spread group of pediatric health facilities. CMN reports its 170 member hospitals provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada.

While these hospitals treat general afflictions like asthma and broken bones, donations also fund critical treatments for things like birth defects and cancer. When people give to CMN, their donations stay local, meaning families in your community aid from your contribution. The group highlights this effort by selecting a “Champion” from each state, each year. These children share their remarkable stories, connecting donors to CMN efforts.

AJ is Tennessee’s champion who finished his final cancer treatment in 2015. His parents first noticed a problem during their vacation to Walt Disney World. AJ was having trouble walking and when his condition worsened, they took him to the pediatrician. Doctors found 7 nonmalignant pediatric brain tumors. Due to the locations of the tumors, AJ underwent chemotherapy. Children’s Miracle Network says donations helped purchase a CT scanner, used by AJ’s doctors to monitor tumor growth and changes. They also helped fund AJ’s medical stroller. In this VIDEO, you can see AJ performing a special song in a salute to the state of Tennessee.

While AJ overcame his cancer, there are plenty of others looking for the latest technology and the newest treatment to save their children. The American Cancer Society estimates more than 10,000 children in the United States under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer this year. While I don’t wish this terrible reality upon anyone, children can be so resilient. As a kid, I recall fearlessly hopping a fence or climbing a tree without thinking about the consequences of falling. As an adult, that fearlessness doesn’t come so easy. I have witnessed the effects of chemotherapy on cancer patients. Whether adult or child, the treatment hurts and it can take you down. Surprisingly though, there are several children who go in and out of treatment with a smile on their face. I want to help ensure those smiles continue well into the future without the pain behind them. That’s why during this Children’s Hospital Week, I choose to support Children Miracle Network Hospitals by donating $20 to their efforts. I hope you will DONATE too.