A Childhood Cancer Survivor Blogging about the World of Childhood Cancer

Posts tagged ‘Oprah! Please Do a Show on Childhood Cancer’

Building The Childhood Cancer War Machine

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

Persistent in my mission, I write to you again today with great hope you will make the choice to do a show on childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is grossly overlooked and underfunded; our society is virtually clueless about childhood cancer. Our knowledge beyond, “Oh yeah, it’s the bald kids and St. Jude’s,” is glaringly absent. What this group of over 52,000 people is asking you to do is to produce a show that will educate your enormous audience about childhood cancer.

It seems to me that those who are doing the most to stop childhood cancer are the people who have been torn, beaten and ravaged by it. They know the seriousness… when children are diagnosed, 80% have advanced stages of the disease, compared to 20% in adults. Late effects from harsh cancer treatments are common, causing lifelong health problems for over 40% of childhood cancer survivors. Some types of childhood cancer have a 0% survival rate.

We, as a society, have far, far, to go in implementing a healthcare system that will detect cancer earlier in children. There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon– with the announcement last week about Johnson & Johnson developing a new blood test that they say can detect cancer cells. What a giant step forward this could be for earlier detection of cancer in children!

Please do a show that educates our citizens about childhood cancer by inviting childhood cancer experts to explain truths. Please invite others with huge hearts and huge wallets to join them. Please begin the process of assembling the most powerful Childhood Cancer War Machine possible. With adequate funding for research, a cure is within our reach.

I can’t help taking this one step further… this fact is unnerving…

The causes of childhood cancer are largely unknown.

We need brilliant-minded scientists/researchers to operate this Childhood Cancer War Machine so they can locate the cause and finally rip childhood cancer out by the root!

Hoping and praying,

Melinda

Author of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

 

Therapy Dog Echo Helping me through chemo

 

 

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Invisible Terrorist

 
 

Dear Oprah,

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

My daily letters to you continue, and my appreciation for your consideration of my request grows with each message I send. By now, your producers have to be wondering how I can possibly feel this strongly about wanting you to do a show on childhood cancer. This does not have to be a show of despair; this can be a show of courage and hope.

Knowing how little attention and funding go toward childhood cancer research makes me want to leap on top of the Empire State Building and start squawking at the top of my lungs until throngs of people look up to notice! This may seem a bit extreme, but I need to illustrate an important point. Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. This means that nearly one child in each state on each school day hears the words, “You have cancer.”

For me, this means war. There is an Invisible Terrorist kidnapping and torturing children. The terrorist’s name is childhood cancer. We never know where or when this Invisible Terrorist will attack. I don’t understand why our country has billions of dollars to spend for the War on Terror, but not enough money to fund research so that we can end the evil reign of childhood cancer.

Please gather childhood cancer experts and members of The Giving Pledge. Let’s do this for the courageous children who are battling cancer as I type these words. Let’s do it for all of the families who have holes in their hearts. Let’s do this because it is the right thing to do for humanity.

Oprah, the children are so very precious.

Let’s help them,

Melinda

 Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Karl Page 4 Years Old and Completing 3 Years of Chemo on Wednesday

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Let’s Wake Up The World

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

It’s not just me who would pour “Guts on the Table” before you if it meant you would shine your light on childhood cancer with an awareness show. I believe each and every one of the 52,000 people who have clicked “Like” on our Facebook page feels just as I do.

At sixteen years old, I try to make sense of this world that we live in. I look at what our society feels is important and I cringe… wealth, fame, and “getting something for nothing” seem to be our highest aspirations. What I see, and what the 52,000 people see, are children who are suffering and dying from cancer. The suffering spreads into all areas of their lives:

*I see a teenage girl getting her beanie pulled off her bald head so that others can ridicule her.

*I see a boy named Ethan Jostad enduring the pain of a classmate telling him she is “glad” he has cancer.

*I see mothers and fathers watching helplessly as their child writhes in pain.

*I see families emotionally and financially destroyed.

*I see a mother who took her life because the pain from watching her suffering child became just too much for her to take.

*I see hundreds of children whose lives could have been saved by earlier detection through greater awareness.

This show on childhood cancer can be a huge Wake-Up-Call for kindness and gratitude. Imagine teaching children that good health is something to be extremely grateful for… imagine challenging them to express their gratitude for life by helping others in need. Imagine spurring the youth of our world to give from their hearts. What if… what if we challenge our youth to raise money for childhood cancer research? What if we teach them that the next childhood cancer diagnosis could be their own?

Surely there would be action and surely our priorities would reassemble into a much more compassionate listing.

Let’s Wake-up-the World,

Melinda

Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

  

 

 

Brave Cancer Warrior Ethan Jostad

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Guts On The Table

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

 Hi, it’s Melinda again. When I returned to school after treatment ended, it was rough.

From Grace:

Another event happened at school, although this one was less than fortunate. People were mean. Several run-ins with students began to affect me, scar me. One kid in my Biology class upset me so greatly that I cried the whole way home. From previous inquiries about my absences he knew that I had fought cancer.

 One day, when I returned after missing multiple classes, he questioned me. “Where have you been? Sick?”

 I nodded.

 “Man! I wish I could just go home all the time!

 Those words ignited a fire inside of me. I was furious.

 “No you don’t,” I said, remaining calm despite my anger.

 “Yeah, I do; that must be nice,” he shot back.

 I remained stubborn. “Trust me, you don’t,” I insisted before turning a cold shoulder to him.

 Words screamed in my head.

 “You @#*&! If only you knew how much I suffered, and how much I would love to be able to make it through even one day without feeling like crud! And don’t you think for one second that I use my illness to get out of school! I would kill to be able to come to school! I’m sitting here right now, feeling like %#@*! Maybe if I puke in your face you’ll believe that I am sick! You stay home with a cold! A cold! I had cancer . . . . *#@ cancer! You get to feel good! You get to be healthy! I would give anything, anything, to feel that way for one millisecond. I would pour my guts out on this table right now, just to know what it feels like. I don’t even *&#@ remember what it feels like!”

 Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t focus, and my rage blurred every word that Mr. Ritchie spoke. I just wanted people to believe me . . . that’s all. (Copyright Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery)

 “Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.”    —Maya Angelou

 Please believe me when I say I would pour my guts out on the table before you, if it meant you would shine your light on childhood cancer. Awareness=Funding=Research=Cure!

Melinda

Max Clearly Stating His Feelings About Cancer

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Wow, This Girl Really Means It!

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

My name is Melinda Marchiano, and I am 16 years old. I will admit right up front in this message that I am desperate for you to bring attention to a cause– childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of children, and I discovered– at 13 years old– what it is like to fight cancer. The reason for my desperation is not because I need or want anything for myself, but because I need you to make the choice to give childhood cancer a Voice.

Childhood cancer is overlooked, underfunded, and grossly misunderstood. The NCI and American Cancer Society give little of their time or resources to childhood cancer. The eleven drugs used today to treat children with cancer were all developed before the 1970’s; we absolutely must develop new targeted treatments that cure, yet are far less toxic (for example antineoplastins and oncolytic virotherapy.) With the research tools that are widely available now, enormous strides toward this goal are highly possible—with adequate funding for research.

By now, your producers must be shaking their heads, thinking, “Wow, this girl really means it.” I wonder what the thought is that comes after that. Is it, “What are we going to do about this?” Or, is it, “Wow, is she ever dreaming?”

I have people posting on my Facebook wall, telling me that writing to you is a “Big waste of time.” Even if your answer is no, I do not view writing to you as a waste of time. I truly believe there is goodness in you that will cause you to open your heart to this passionate plea. I have to try. Do you know why?

Children are suffering.

Children are dying.

Here is the thing; it does not have to be this way!

Let’s round up The Giving Pledge with childhood cancer experts to create an everlasting Pledge for a Safe Cure for all Children with Cancer.

We can do this. Let’s do it.

Now.

Not giving up hope,

Melinda

A seven year-old boy named Max Nunn taught me about advocating and raising money for childhood cancer research. Max said, “I mean it!” Thanks Max for still teaching me– all the way from heaven.

Thank you for your lessons, Max!

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Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery 

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Treasures in Heaven

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

Thank you for your compassion in reading my daily letters requesting you to do a show on childhood cancer. People keep reminding me that time is running out. Since this is your last season, I know chances are becoming slimmer and slimmer that you will answer positively. Yet, I can’t give up, and I won’t give up.

We, as a society, cannot continue to ignore childhood cancer. There are 40,000 children in the U.S. battling cancer today. We are more interested in the lives of the rich and famous and badly behaved people of the world than in turning our attention to fight for the most vulnerable, our seriously ill children.

This is just wrong.

I love this verse:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19

Imagine the Treasure we could leave here on this Earth. I imagine a large table (like Mr. Trump in The Apprentice,) with childhood cancer experts and members of The Giving Pledge gathered for a Pow-Wow about building the Childhood Cancer War Machine that will decimate childhood cancer. I see their faces: Dr. L. Hartwell, Dr. E. Kleinerman, Dr. Bruzynski, Dr. P. Adamson, Dr. J. Schiffman, Dr. Curran, CureSearch, St. Baldrick’s, PAC2, Kids V Cancer, Members of the Pediatric Cancer Caucus, and interspersed with them, The Giving Pledge members: Mr. and Mrs. Case, Mr. and Mrs. Gates, Mr. Zuckerberg, Mr. Icahn, Mr. Milken, and all others.

At the end of this show, I see a gigantic celebration of the beginning of change… streamers, balloons, and confetti streaming from the sky while tears stream down audience members’ faces. We cannot wait another day to act in a huge way to cure childhood cancer. Children are a treasure here on Earth.

I cannot imagine a greater Treasure for Heaven than ending their suffering.

Grateful for your care,

 Melinda 

Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

 

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Persistence in the Mission of Hope

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

It is me, Melinda again, writing to ask you to please do a show on childhood cancer. The purpose of my daily letters is not to annoy you, but to engage you in my mission of hope. If you look at the Oprah, Please Do a Show on Childhood Cancer Facebook page today, you will see many stories of children who have fought cancer, along with shocking statistics of how childhood cancer is overlooked and underfunded.

If you look closely at the stories, you will find many common threads. One very startling thread is the common denominator of children with cancer being misdiagnosed. It is appalling that parents take their children to appointment after appointment, doctor after doctor, and still, their child’s cancer is not found until it spreads to the point of no hope for recovery. I do not blame doctors for this. This is a problem in our society. There is so little awareness that children are dying as a result.

Over the past year, I have been blessed, and at the same time saddened, by communications with other children with cancer. They fight so hard. They just want to be normal. Their families are ravaged and devastated. Unfortunately, children do not vote, children do not earn income, and children do not have the same rights as adults. How can children fight for the same “Cancer Rights” that adults have earned?

They can’t.

These children are depending on us. Future children are depending on us. Please gather childhood cancer experts with members of The Giving Pledge for the purpose of creating an enormous Childhood Cancer War Machine.

This spectacular machine would guarantee:

*Earlier detection for childhood cancers

*Less toxic treatments for childhood cancers

*Great follow-up care for children with cancer

I want this with all of my heart. I will persist. Yes, I will keep persisting until I engage you in this mission.

With great hope,

Melinda

16 Year-Old Author of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Last Chemo Day at Cottage Hospital

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Like No One Else…

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

I absolutely love how you have taught your audience, over the years, how to live their “best lives.” Although I am only sixteen years old, I have emerged from an experience that has clearly illustrated to me how I am to live my “best life.” That experience was battling Hodgkin lymphoma when I was thirteen, and I am living my best life by pouring my heart and soul into helping other children with cancer.

Did you know?

Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killing children.

Every school day, 46 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer– 12,500 children each year.

One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer will die; in some forms of childhood cancer, one out of every five children will live.

The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown and cannot be prevented.

When children are diagnosed with cancer, 80% have advanced stages of the disease, compared with 20% of adults.

One of my favorite words is “gelatinous.”  (Just making sure you are paying attention!)

 There are 40,000 children in the United States battling cancer as I write this.

Will you please, please, Oprah, shine your light on childhood cancer?  If you would open your heart to this request, childhood cancer would suffer a serious blow to its cruel and evil existence. Like no one else, you can bring awareness to childhood cancer. Like no one else, you can help begin the process of driving childhood cancer to extinction.

Like no one else, you can…

Will you?

Please?

Melinda

16 Year-Old Author of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Nurse Cyndi, the Blue Chemo Fairy

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The Magic Wand

 

Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Dear Oprah,

It’s me, Melinda again, with Part II of my “Squeak-Squeak”2011 New Year Letter to you.  I am inspired, motivated, and thankful to be a soldier in the passionate Facebook army of over 51,000 people who are asking you to do a show on childhood cancer.  Suddenly, my “Squeak” is multiplied many times over, with others writing letters to you daily. This is our way of demonstrating the immediate need for action. We are calling upon you because we believe you are the person who will be caring, willing, and able to accomplish the monumental task of gathering together the building blocks of a Childhood Cancer War Machine.

Instead of allowing space to quote statistics today, I will use all of the space to speak straight from my heart. I did not “decide” to become a soldier in this army. This mission chose me; there is no way I can turn my back on the children who are suffering. When I think about the children who will have to suffer in the future if we do not act now, I cannot sleep; I cannot breathe. Not only do we need to act now, but we need to act in a HUGE way!

In addition to being a soldier in the Facebook movement and army to help children with cancer, I am a full-time soldier in God’s army. My cancer story– my life story– is a story of faith, and my faith guides me, leads me, and challenges me to do what God has placed before me to do.

What He has asked me to do is to help His sick and suffering children.

Oprah, I need your help. Just itty-bitty Melinda cannot do this alone. Please gather together childhood cancer experts with members of The Giving Pledge. Make something amazing and magical happen! You hold the “Magic Wand” in your hands.

Please wave your Magic Wand over Childhood Cancer.

I believe in your magic,

Melinda

16 Year-Old Author of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery

Getting Ready for a PET Scan

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Happy New Year, Squeak-Squeak!

Dear Oprah,

I wish Happy New Year to you and your staff. The very first thing I must do in 2011 is to write to you (again—appreciate your patience, letter reader producers.) There are those who wonder why I “waste” my time writing each day to you. Although I know my voice is barely a “Squeak,” I will keep “Squeaking” to help bring awareness and a cure for childhood cancer.

Childhood cancer is devastating beyond what my words here can describe. I understand why it has been overlooked in awareness, funding and research. It is just too hard for people to look. It is too gut-wrenching for people to truly comprehend the suffering of the children and their families. What I have learned is that a cure for childhood cancer is within our reach. CureSearch and Children’s Oncology Group state that with adequate funding, a cure for childhood cancer is within our reach.

Funding.

Lack of money for research is the MONSTER aiding childhood cancer to continue its destruction.

What I am asking, Oprah, is that you please gather experts on childhood cancer together with those philanthropists who have pledged to give away large portions of their fortunes so that we can begin building an enormous Childhood Cancer War Machine.

How is it that our country has the funds to build war machines that kill, but we won’t build one to save the lives of our dearly loved children? Please help me make 2011 the year that we make childhood cancer run for its life.

Me and my “Squeak” will be checking in with you again tomorrow,

With great hope,

Melinda

16 Year-Old Author of Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery 

 

 

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