September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Here’s How We Can All Make a Difference

Every September, the world turns gold to honor children fighting cancer, a reminder of courage, hope, and the resilience of families facing the unimaginable. For some, the month begins in hospitals, with a test result and a word no parent wants to hear. Cancer. At first, it doesn’t feel real. You cling to hope that there’s been a mistake, that the diagnosis isn’t real, yet reality begins to settle in.

Then reality hits with hospital visits, repeated tests, and sleepless nights. Life changes instantly, routines feel fragile, and the world narrows to doctor’s appointments and treatment schedules. In the United States, about 9,550 children aged 0–14 are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2025 (American Cancer Society, 2025), which makes each story and every milestone all the more significant.

Navigating the Long Road

Treatment quickly becomes the new normal. Chemotherapy, hospital stays, and appointments shape every week, and families move back and forth between hope and fear. Some days bring small victories: a laugh after a procedure, a day without pain, a test showing progress. Other days bring setbacks that crush hope and make you question whether the struggle will ever end.

Families face real challenges:

• Long hospital stays disrupt daily life.
• Physical and emotional exhaustion for children and parents.
• Financial stress from treatments, medications, and travel.
• Emotional rollercoasters as they celebrate wins while bracing for setbacks.

Even in the darkest moments, courage shows in the smallest of things: a smile, a milestone, a moment that reminds everyone why the fight matters. Thanks to medical advances, survival rates for childhood cancer in the U.S. have improved, and today, around 85% of children survive at least five years after diagnosis. (American Cancer Society, 2025) Yet families still face long and difficult journeys. Leukemia, brain tumors, and lymphomas are among the most common types, each with unique challenges for children and their families.

 Ways to Make a Difference

As families navigate treatment and uncertainty, communities can step in to provide hope and relief. Small gestures, whether through time, resources, or awareness, can make a real impact. Support from friends, neighbors, and even distant advocates reminds families they are not alone. Here are some ways to help:

• Donate to organizations like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the American Childhood Cancer Organization to fund research and provide family resources.
• Volunteer time at local hospitals or non-profits to offer comfort and relief.
• Wear gold or share a story on social media to raise awareness and let families know they are seen.
• Organize or participate in local events like Go Gold walks to support fighters and survivors.
• Offer practical support to families, such as helping with meals, babysitting siblings, or simply listening.

Every action, no matter how small, helps families feel supported, giving children and parents the strength to keep going.

Strength Found in Stories

With support in place, children find the strength to fight, and families find the hope to persevere. Children ring victory bells after finishing chemotherapy, return to school, play sports, and pursue dreams once interrupted by treatment. Families celebrate every milestone, from completing a round of treatment to achieving goals that once seemed impossible.

Communities rally around them through Go Gold walks and local events, showing support for fighters and survivors alike. Every doctor, nurse, parent, friend, and neighbor contributes to this collective resilience, proving that surviving cancer is not just medical; it is emotional, communal, and human. These stories show that strength is found in persistence, hope, and the love that surrounds a family, preparing them for the moments of triumph to come.

 Moments That Last

All the courage, the milestones, and the community support lead to moments that families hold onto forever. The cancer is gone. The scans are clear. Relief and gratitude flood in, alongside recognition of every struggle endured and every hand that helped along the way. This moment is the proof of what resilience and support can achieve.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is about more than gold ribbons or campaigns. It is about the journey, the highs and lows, the moments of fear and hope, and the communities that stand with these families. Every child deserves the chance to grow, dream, and live fully. Imagine a child who once faced daunting treatments now speaking at their high school graduation, planning for college, and excited about a future filled with promise.

You can make a difference by donating to support children and families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, by educating yourself about childhood cancer and ways to help, or by standing with families in your own community through Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. Every action, no matter how small, carries hope, strengthens the fight, and reminds families that they are never alone.