September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and you have the power to make a difference, no matter how small or big.

See if these statistics alarm you (they should):

Did you know one in every three hundred children will be diagnosed with cancer this year? Of those children diagnosed, one in every four will not survive. Cancer is the number one killer of children in America despite its overall 78 percent cure rate. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer kills more children than cystic fibrosis, pediatric AIDS, asthma, diabetes and congenital anomalies. These children need us.

I was, and still consider myself, a friend of Coleman. Coleman’s journey began Sept. 21, 2006. He and his twin brother Caden were two-and-a-half years old. Coleman had a tumor the size of a tangerine embedded in his cerebellum. It was Medulloblastoma (brain cancer). Over the next 2 years, Coleman did chemo, radiation and a stem cell transplant. He then was to do an experimental treatment in NYC. Coleman never got to receive that experimental treatment because the cancer continued to take over his body. He passed away on January 5th, 2009.

Coleman, like many children who are cancer patients, was extraordinary. He had a heart of gold, was full of spunk and was a firm believer in God and Jesus. Coleman was always looking to do good for others, along with his brother Caden. That is how “An Act of Kindness, no matter how small… can be the greatest gift of all” came to be. Literally, thousands of people across the world (who followed Coleman’s story on carepages.com) began doing acts of kindness in Coleman’s honor.

You can join in… even if it’s paying for the person behind you at the drive thru at McDonald’s or helping your friend study for an exam.

Do it in honor of Coleman… do it in honor of the hundreds of other children who die from this horrible disease EVERY year. We NEED a cure and you can help in a variety of ways. The most simple and easiest way is to spread awareness… blog about childhood cancer – share the numbers I shared with you! Tell your friends about it at lunch, tell your coworkers, or write letters to local politicians.

Ask them to support more funding for research for a cure! Or, if you are able you can make a donation to an organization of your choice. Any amount you donate can help save a child’s life.

These children need our help. They need your help and they need it now. Please join me in this fight against childhood cancer. Join me as I recognize September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and sign the Childhood Cancer Awareness Petition, which you can find online.

Please take the time to sign this petition… it is not a scam, you won’t get junk email and it’s for a good cause.

Again, remember Coleman and the thousands of other children who have lost their battles with cancer and those who are still fighting. They deserve a cure.

Thank you.

Kaitlin Redmond

Sophomore, elementary education