Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. 12% of kids diagnosed with cancer do not survive. Unfortunately, my son, Campbell Grady Dale was one of them. On February 12, 2014, Campbell entered Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at UMMC. He would later be diagnosed with Stage IV Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue. He went through 54 weeks of rigorous and harmful chemotherapy and 24 straight days of abdominal radiation. At his final scans April 1st, 2015, a new growth was located near the original tumor site. This new tumor was removed and he began another protocol of harsh chemotherapy. At his 6 week scans, it was discovered his cancer had spread to 4 new places and the just removed site. Through helpful work of many doctors, we were able to get into a trial at St. Jude immediately and he began this new trial at the end of July. On August 17th, we were told the terrible news that his cancer had spread even more and there was not much else that could be done to save his young life. We sorrowfully returned home to Jackson and we call that day the day of the rainbows. We saw 4 on our flight home. We knew this was a sign from God that it was time to take our son home and let him live out his life to the fullest in the time he had left. In those 5 weeks, Campbell was a Bulldog for a day in Starkville (he loved MSU and they loved him right back), he was celebrated at his Make a Wish Reveal Party, and he got to spend a week at Disney World…a dream for him with no doctors, no nurses and no shots. He left this world at 5 years old on Friday, September 18, 2015.

 

As a parent, the worst news you can ever receive is that your child has cancer. Or so we thought. When we were told there was nothing more that could be done to save his life, that became the worst news. It is our mission and now our passion to bring awareness to the fight our littlest heroes are fighting every day. No child should have to fight for their life because of a beast named cancer and no child should lose their life to that same beast. The National Cancer Institute designates less than 4% of their budget to Pediatric Cancer Research. In the past 20 years, only 3 new drugs have been approved by the FDA to fight Pediatric Cancer…only 3! The 3rd drug was approved in 2015. Our kids deserve more than 4% and more than 3 drugs every 20 years. We hope to be a part of the movement to change those numbers.

 

Worldwide, September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Gold is the color for Childhood Cancer. Many buildings, businesses and sports teams “Go Gold” throughout the month. Mississippi hasn’t recognized this movement statewide, but we want to change that. We are working with the Children’s Cancer Clinic at Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children and the Children’s Miracle Network to bring awareness to the people of Mississippi about subject that is hard to fathom, much less talk about which is children fighting for their lives and some even losing their life. We are partnering with the Community Foundation for Mississippi in our effort to raise money. All money raised will go to the Campbellbulldog Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson. As we bring awareness, we will raise money that will go directly into the Campbellbulldog Fund for research to help find cures for the many different types of pediatric cancer.