Although I’ve never directly dealt with pediatric cancer in my family, I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in multiple initiatives to promote and lend a voice to children affected by the disease. At DePaul, initiatives like DemonTHON work to empower children with cancer at local hospitals and raise funds, while non-profit organizations attempt to make legislative change by voicing their struggles and needs.

Most recently, I became a Hero for With Purpose, an organization started by Erin Benson and her husband after they lost their son, Sam, at the young age of two to cancer. There are so many challenges facing families dealing with pediatric cancer. Not only are these cancers less well-known, the limited amount of treatments further complicates matters. It’s no wonder Erin and her husband had to set up a non-profit to bring about change in the medical industry and the government toward pediatric cancer.

Even though I’m only 22, I’ve found myself drawn to and impacted by issues surrounding pediatric cancer. After recently learning about the lack of funding dedicated to pediatric cancers, I was shocked to learn it isn’t top of mind. Although it’s a harder topic to discuss, I think it’s important to make sure people are aware of its prevalence and the devastating effects the disease can wreak, on the families and the children. Many of us are familiar with the types of cancers that affect adults but don’t know heads or tails about the cancers affecting children.

First, it is the leading cause of death by disease in children.

Although pediatric cancer cases are relatively rare, death by the disease is the leading cause of death in children past infancy. Despite this unfortunate reality, there is a lack of treatment options available for pediatric cancer.

Second, the National Cancer Institutes allocates only 4% of its annual budget to pediatric cancer research.

The budget allocation is further complicated because of the array of pediatric cancers, the rarity of the cases and challenges in testing patients for treatments. This means clinical trials aren’t conducted to test new treatments, nor are research initiatives for pediatric cancer treatments advanced.

Third, along with limited treatment options, clinical trials operate in limited numbers.

This further limits the development of pediatric cancer treatments. Since the 1980s, there have only been 10 newly approved drugs to treat pediatric cancer, which is insufficient to cover the range of cancers affecting children.

Although many of us don’t encounter the topic of pediatric cancer every day, we tend to feel helpless and saddened by the topic when it arises, myself included. It’s tough to think about a child cooped up in a hospital when looking back on my childhood memories with fondness.

Yet, there are many ways in which you can get involved. Even the shortest amount of volunteer time and the smallest donation amount go a long way.

With Purpose Comes Power has launched this week to make this easier for you. Get involved with us by following our Facebook page and keeping your eyes and ears open for With Purpose Comes Power events around DePaul’s campus!