Over 400,000 children and adolescents around the world are diagnosed with cancer each year. In a single day, over 1,095 children and families will have their lives changed forever due to a cancer diagnosis. International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is a global initiative observed on February 15th each year that aims to raise awareness for childhood cancer and advocate for better care for affected children and their families.

The History of ICCD?

International Childhood Cancer Day has a rich history, evolving into a global movement since it was first founded in 2002. The day was founded on the core principle that every child and adolescent with cancer deserves the best care, regardless of country, race, finances, or social status. Today, it consists of a network with 183 organizations in over 94 countries across all 5 continents. It serves as a platform to advocate for policy changes, increase funding, and improve access to quality care for childhood cancer patients worldwide.

Unfortunately, we still live in a world where chances of survival are highly influenced by a country’s GDP, with survival rates being 4x lower in low-income countries vs high-income countries. With this in mind, the primary objectives include raising awareness, promoting advocacy efforts, and fostering a sense of solidarity within the childhood cancer community. The target goal is to achieve a 60% survival rate for ALL children diagnosed with cancer around the world by 2030, doubling the current cure rate.

A Golden History

The golden ribbon was created as a universal symbol to create awareness and aim to minimize deaths and disabilities due to cancer.

Why gold? Gold is a precious metal, and children are our most precious treasure. It also represents the journey, because in order to make gold strong and tough, it has to go through fire. Children develop incredible resiliency while enduring the challenges that come with the cancer journey.

How You Can Help

Chances are if you’re reading this, someone you know may have or previously had childhood cancer. To help honor this day, you can post on social media to raise awareness in your own circle, donate to a pediatric cancer organization like Here to Serve, or volunteer with local organizations in your community. Learning more about the global impact of pediatric cancer is a great first step toward progress. Knowledge is power, and together we can make a difference.

Here to Serve & ICCD

Here to Serve was founded on similar principles as ICCD, aiming to provide families with children battling cancer with comprehensive physical, emotional, and financial support throughout their journey. Here to Serve works to remove barriers to services and care that prevent disruption in families lives and help them focus on what matters most – caring for their loved ones. A donation to Here to Serve is a great way to honor ICCD, because your donation will go DIRECTLY toward helping families.

To learn more, check out the full list of support services and if someone you know is in need of extra support, get help today!

Reference:

1. https://internationalchildhoodcancerday.org/