I haven’t written a Landon Update in almost a month now because he is just a normal 5-year-old. He talks too much in school and still loves doing homework. He likes a little girl, and a different one likes him. He likes school, but wishes it didn’t start so early in the morning. He is your typical little boy. There just isn’t a lot to say for an interesting update.
So instead I’ll write about something else very important: the Bigger Picture.
Everyone knows that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are already pink ribbons in the stores to raise funds for that cause. And I think that’s great.
You know what else would be great? If every Specific Cancer Awareness Month received that kind of attention. Did you know that September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? I found that out last October – two months after Landon was diagnosed.
I had a child with cancer and didn’t know! How can we expect the general public to know?
To mark this important occasion, I thought I’d deviate from the normal for a bit. I usually give you a very specific update on one little boy. Today I’m trying to show you the bigger picture, one of every child ever diagnosed with this scary monster.
- Over 12,400 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. That’s a
classroom full of children, every single day. - One of every 330 children in the United States will develop cancer before the age of 19.
- About 4,000 children die from cancer each year. That’s 11 children a day.
- Cancer is the #1 disease-related killer of children under the age of 14.
So many of you have been praying for Landon and our family. We very much appreciate each of those prayers and firmly believe that they have been working! What I ask of you today is to extend your prayers to include the rest of the children and their families that are going through this hell.
And maybe you could pass on this news to others? And think about these children when you see those pink ribbons next month? Afterall, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
