The Pennies for Patients collection drive is happening at Anaheim High School from February 25th to March 8th. The money collected is spent on patient and community services, and research for the different childhood cancers that affect thousands of children yearly.

Please donate whatever you can- anything is greatly appreciated!

Here are ten facts that showcase the severity of childhood cancer and why your donations that will help fund research are immensely appreciated.

1. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 20.
2. Despite the decline in the death rate (2.8 per 100,000 in 1969 to 0.6 per 100,000 in 2014), leukemia is still the second leading cause of cancer death among children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 20.
3. Lymphoma is the third most common cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults younger than 20 years.
4. Non- Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is more common than Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) in children under 15. HL is more common than NHL in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 29.
5. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)  is slightly more common among Hispanic and white children than among African-American and Asian-American children, and it is more common in boys than in girls. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) occurs about equally among boys and girls of all races.
6. The causes of most childhood cancers are not known. Up to 10% of all cancers in children are caused by a heritable mutation.
7. Children who have Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop leukemia than children without Down syndrome. However, only a very small proportion of childhood leukemia is linked to Down syndrome.
8. Children who were treated for bone cancer, brain tumors, and Hodgkin lymphoma, or who received radiation to their chest, abdomen, or pelvis, have the highest risk of serious late effects from their cancer treatment, including second cancers, joint replacement, hearing loss, and congestive heart failure.
9. There are approximately 375,000 adult survivors of children’s cancer in the United States.
10. Survivors of childhood Hodgkin’s lymphoma are 14 times more likely to develop a subsequent solid tumor than the general population, and this risk remains high for several decades post-diagnosis.

Pennies for Patients is happening at Anaheim High School from February 25th to March 8th. Please consider donating whatever amount you are able to donate. Collection boxes can be found in participating teachers’ classrooms. The 4th-period class that raises the most money receives a treat from Olive Garden. However, money can be donated during any period.

Sources:

https://www.lls.org/http%3A/llsorg.prod.acquia-sites.com/facts-and-statistics/facts-and-statistics-overview/facts-and-statistics/childhood-blood-cancer-facts-and-statistics

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-in-children/about/key-statistics.html

https://curesearch.org/Childhood-Cancer-Statistics

https://lymphomanewstoday.com/2019/01/22/survivors-childhood-hodgkins-risk-solid-cancers/

https://www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers/child-adolescent-cancers-fact-sheet