ROCKSTAR RONAN

As a mother of a child fighting cancer, I’m deeply saddened to hear that pediatric cancer is not worth enough, special enough, important or whatever it may be, to be recognized and have Empire State Building go Gold for just one night.Living in pediatric cancer world is horrible for so many reasons. Seeing your child in pain, the feeling of being helpless in so many ways, the agony of treatment plans, sleepless nights, and anxiety are just some that come to my mind, and there are plenty more that I have experienced in the last year and a half. On top of all that I also feel sad, disappointed, let down, ignored by the society we live in.
That’s what brings me to write this letter to you.
I read the statement published by ESB in the response to the EmpireGoGold campaign and it brings out all those feeling of sadness, disappointment, let down, ignorance.. The responses is exactly the reason why community of parents who lost children due to cancer, parents fighting the battles of cancer with their children or advocates for pediatric cancer are trying to be heard, trying to bring attention, or almost uncover the truth about this. I’m begging you to understand the reasoning behind this need, to hear the statistics about funding for pediatric cancer, to read about drugs and treatments offered to children.

My 4 year old, should have a better chance, better treatment plan, less invasive protocol as she is fighting for her life. As voices of our children, we are asking for awareness which equals funding, funding equals research, research equals cures. Life with child battling cancer feels like you are attack every second, you are harassed every minute and still are considered very lucky because every day 7 children die from it, and I cannot even try to imagine what that feels like.

I would never ever wish this on anyone, but what I do wish for you and many others is not to look away because this is a reality of so many, it can happen to anyone. Here is my passion, my reason for living, breathing, fighting. But it’s not just her, it’s also for 46 kids who will be diagnosed with cancer today.

Kids deserve so much more.