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Cancer will not win my son: Our children deserve more than four

I've heard about cancer, and I've seen my family members fight it. But when I heard the word "cancer," I immediately thought of adults. That was until December 2016. That was the day I learned about childhood cancer... when Bentley, my 2-year-old son, was diagnosed.

I’ve heard about cancer, and I’ve seen my family members fight it. But when I heard the word “cancer,” I immediately thought of adults. That was until December 2016. That was the day I learned about childhood cancer… when Bentley, my 2-year-old son, was diagnosed.

Since then I have learned that only four percent of funding for cancer research goes to childhood cancer, leaving the other 96 percent to go to adult cancer research.

ONLY FOUR PERCENT FOR ALL TYPES OF CHILDHOOD CANCER?

NO WONDER WHY CHILDHOOD CANCER SEEMS SO RARE.

In 2017, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recieved $5.389 billion for research and childhood cancer only received 3.9 percent of that money. Our children deserve more than four! We, as a community, need to stand up, and speak out, and let this be known.

Throughout treatment I have watched my son struggle more than any person ever should. So far he’s endured nine rounds of high dose chemotherapy, two major surgeries, countless line infections and removals, and now Hu3F8 (immunetheropy). When my son spikes fevers, we have to fight to get him Tylenol to help, many times holding my son while he’s shaking, sweating, and shivering due to high temperatures of 104. This is all while being told that Tylenol costs too much and it can only be given to the child if they have a fever of 38.4 degrees Celsius or higher.

No matter how  many people are there for support, I always feel alone because nobody else will know what it truly feels like to have your whole world stop. Everyone cares – there’s no doubt about that – but their world still spins at the end of it all. They go on about their day and life continues for them, while mine is at a constant stand still. Day in and day out, I hold my son while he’s crying and screaming for me to stop when I have to do things to help him. He doesn’t understand that I’m trying to help his little body fight off this nasty devil that tried taking over him. There’s been many times I’ve thought I was torturing him and I need to just let him live his life treatment-free but I WILL NOT LET THIS CANCER WIN.

I will stand by my son.

I will help him see this through.

And I will help him fight this fight right along side him until this is over.

CANCER WILL NOT WIN MY SON.

Krystal Hayden

Bentley’s mom 

 

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