Ashley had been struggling with constipation since she was born. But no matter how many times I voiced my concerns, doctors just blew it off as nothing more than common bowel issues. They gave me the same regimen and sent us on our way. She was my fifth child though and I knew in my gut something was not right. I switched her doctor and they were finally taking me seriously. Some tests were done and that is when we found out the terrifying truth. 

        She was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. At this point, Ashley was 3 and a half years old. Neuroblastoma is a type of pediatric cancer that develops in the nervous system of babies and young children. According to Cancer.Net, each year 800 children ages 0 to 14 are diagnosed with Neuroblastoma in North America. This accounts for 6% of all childhood cancers in the United States. 

        The only good news we received was that they would be able to surgically remove the cancer because the tumor had not spread. No matter the positive news, your heart shatters into a million pieces to hear the words cancer when it is your child. The long term effects of this disease weigh heavily on us daily. Ashley has PTSD and anxiety due to worrying every day that her cancer may return. I have borderline depression with horrible anxiety due to constant fear that every headache or complaint of pain could be the return of her cancer.

        Being a single mother to 5 children made Ashley’s diagnosis that much harder. Constantly having to find someone to watch 4 of my children while I drove Ashley over 4 hours to the Oncologist. I am on disability, so money is tight to begin with. Everything is a constant struggle when your child is diagnosed with cancer. You are being pulled in so many different directions and it is extremely hard mentally and physically. 

        I am passionate about finding a cure for cancer, by fighting to raise the funding for childhood cancer research from 4% to 8%. I do not want another family to have to go through what my child and my family are going through. One of the biggest issues that I have, is the lack of treatment research for these children. Our children are being given medicines made for adults. It feels like an inhumane experiment on children to see if they can handle it or not. 

        By signing this petition, you will be giving a voice to the children and their families who are already fighting. You will also be lobbying to help these children spend less time fighting and more time being the children they deserve to be. They should be spending less time in the hospital and more time being kids. We cannot do this alone, we need your help. This important cause requires 12 million signatures to start the next phase in the process. Please stand with us in our fight to raise the percentage.