Childhood cancer is the greatest cause of mortality by disease in children in Canada according to statistics from the National Cancer Institute. Childhood Cancer Canada is a small charity that received $932k in donations and special event revenue. Additionally, every year approximately 1,000 children are diagnosed with the disease, and 110 die from cancer in Canada. Cancer research in children is continuously underfunded. Unlike adult cancers, most children's cancers have unclear causes and are not linked to lifestyle or environmental factors. Childhood cancer research (in Canada) receives just around 5% of the federal funds for cancer research. In 2017, cancer took away 11.5 million years of healthy life from children around the world. If all children received proper care, the total may be lower. Cancer research costs at least half a billion dollars per year, with funds coming from a variety of sources, including tax revenue and fundraising runs. 

The defunding of childhood cancer research has exceedingly deep consequences both short-term and long-term. To begin, many children's lives are put at risk and without adequate/enough research, it is nearly impossible to help save them. This more specifically applies to those who have a very harsh type of cancer. For example, ATRT brain cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in children. Because cancer research is underfunded, many children die from not getting strong treatment. 

Childhood cancer research plays a big role in various components of a child's life. There is always a constant fear of relapse, and a child goes through numerous phases of depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress. As a result, the quality of life suffers. Family life is interrupted as family members cope with a "new normal" that includes frequent hospital visits, high medical costs, and an uncertain future in which the risk of the kid dying at an early age figures prominently in their minds.

I am trying to raise awareness on this issue, so more people are aware and can help cause change. Together we can make a difference and come to evaluate as well as distinguish the crisis in society and the pressures behind it. 

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