Governor Proclaims Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2021

WHEREAS, each year in the United States more than 15,780 children from birth to 19 years old are diagnosed with cancer, equal to about 42 childhood cancer diagnoses each day; and

WHEREAS, approximately one in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before their twentieth birthday with this number increasing each year; and

WHEREAS, each year worldwide, there are more than 400,000 new childhood cancer diagnoses, equaling to about one family hearing the words “your child has cancer” every three minutes; and

WHEREAS, although the five-year survival rate for childhood cancers have reached 84 percent, nearly 1,500 American children under the age of 19 still die each year from cancer, making it the leading killer of children by disease; and

WHEREAS, the two thirds that do survive will face at least one chronic health condition later in life – not limited to, but including – heart, liver, lung damage, infertility, secondary cancers and growth deficits; and

WHEREAS, the causes of childhood cancer are largely unknown, and more studies are needed to understand which treatments work best for children; and

WHEREAS, cancer treatment for children often must differ from traditional adult treatments to take into account children’s developmental needs and other factors; there are more types/variances of childhood cancers than adult cancers; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina is a caring state and community dedicated to supporting the families and hundreds of children being treated in the state;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September, 2021, as “CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.