There are many events in NYC. There have been many events I’ve been too. Not many hit me as hard as this one. Of course I couldn’t say no, I knew it would be tough but I had to do it. I was blessed with an invitation to a lunch by The Moms. This lunch was to talk about Hope on Wheels and how to end pediatric cancer. This is such an important conversation. Childhood cancer is much more common than people believe. And as a mom of a cancer survivor is my duty to pass this important message along.

Let me give you a little back ground: Hope on Wheels® was born in 1998 when Hyundai and some dealers in the North East decided to support the Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Hope on Wheels is a non profit (501) organization. Their mission is “to help kids fight cancer”. and they have funded more than $100 million pediatric cancer research. Why is this important? Because less than 4% of federal research funding for cancer is used for pediatric cancer. This is unacceptable considering the high rate of pediatric cancer.

During the luncheon we were able to hear first hand from moms and children affected by pediatric cancer as well as recognized doctors in the field. When I arrived they were playing a video of the story of this girl who has neuroblastoma. And I couldn’t help to cry. This was the story of Ashley. She battled cancer twice before her 10th birthday. I couldn’t help but to want to hug this strong girl and even stronger mama. Her mom, Nicole Burnette was one of the panelist along with Dr. Lisa Diller, Dr. Jennifer Levine, Dr. Leonard Sender, Lori Thomas and Lorraine Commerford.

The panel discussed the importance of research in the pediatric cancer area. They also talked about signs and ways to deal with a cancer diagnosis. To me, as a mom, that was the most important part. Hearing first hand how other moms dealt with it, how they stayed so strong and how they have hope.

I think we all need to take a step back and pay closer attention to childhood cancer. I know it’s hard because they are children and a lot of people don’t know how to handle it, well here are some ideas: DONATE. You can find organizations like Hope on Wheels® who are dedicated to this cause 100%. Spread the word, or get in the conversation. Believe it or not, parents of cancer patients are more than happy to talk about it. It is very healing to us!

I would like to thank The Moms for partnering up with such an amazing cause and for the invitation. I would also like to specifically thank Nicole for taking the time to talk to me and really give me a lot of extra hope.