Pediatric Cancer

It is almost impossible for me at times to wrap my head around the fact that Melina had cancer. I know Melina had a pediatric brain tumor. I know what it was called. But how does a four year old have cancer?
The month of September is dedicated to awareness of all pediatric cancers. It truly breaks me to my core. To think of the families, the destruction, the loss and the pain. But what will always break me is the innocence. How can these innocent little children get so blind sided?
These are questions I know in this lifetime I won’t be able to answer. But what I do know is that we can do better. I know from my own personal experience that there isn’t even options. Yet pediatric cancers get less than four percent of all national funding. Less than four! This is a number I will never be able to comprehend but it is also a number I can do something about.
September has a whole new meaning for me and forever will. My family became a statistic. I sat in the room with two brilliant medical teams that had to look us in the eye and say this was the end. And yet these medical professionals keep fighting everyday. They fight for every patient that walks through their doors. And most of their patients believe in Santa Claus. I continue to fight for these teams of doctors too. They deserve to be able to give families options.
Our fight is to find that cure. Every penny we can possibly put to that we will. The only way to make that four percent increase is to fight loud. We are privately funding clinical trials because of the amazing support we have recieved. And when I sit in those meetings I don’t take that position lightly. I know I am sitting there for not only my Melina, but other families who are suffering too. Melina deserved better. They all deserved better. I represent every mother, every patient every family and every doctor that deserves more.
So this month when you see a gold ribbon remember our fight. If you sign up for our race remember what we represent. If you make a donation please know it means more than I can say. Because at the end of the day not only am I the President of MMEF, more importantly I am Melina’s mom. It is so much more than just a race. It is so much more than a shirt, it is more than a donation. It is hope. It is hope that our Melina is the cure. It is the hope that the families fighting deserve better. It is the hope that a doctor doesn’t have to say this is the end. It is the hope that children never have to get blind sided. It is the hope that for future families Joy is their only choice! 💚🌈💚