Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Approximately 400,000 children each year are diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer is the most common condition affecting our wish children.
A wish begins with hope, you can help to grant a wish for a child with cancer, today.
For a child fighting cancer, hope is essential.
You can make their wish come true. Donate today.
For a child fighting cancer, hope is essential. We’ve granted more than 550,000 wishes to children with critical illnesses, but we’re not done yet. Thousands of children are anxiously counting the days until their wish will be granted. Every day of waiting is one too many.
For a child fighting cancer, hope is essential.
Akif’s Wish
Akif was born with Down syndrome and that was only the beginning of this nine year old’s journey. Akif had increasing difficulty walking, up to the point where he could no longer stand up. After weeks of testing, doctors confirmed that he had leukemia. To date, Akif has undergone a bone marrow transplant and three cycles of intensive chemotherapy, with each cycle draining him more than the last.
As soon as he arrived at the fire station, he was given his own little firefighter uniform and was sworn in as part of the brigade. With the sounding of the alarm, Akif was on his way to put out his first fire and had a day full of activities as a firefighter-in-training. As the day drew to a close, Captain Akif was presented with a room full of his gifts that included his own little fire truck. Akif’s parents firmly believe that Akif’s wish has brought him not only joy, but the courage to continue in his treatment journey.
About Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, has was first marked in the US in 1992 and since then has spread around the world.
As children in many parts of the world go back to school, for children undergoing treatment for cancer there is no return to normality, no catching up with friends or recounting their adventures over the break. Instead there is uncertainty. There are missed opportunities and endless hospital visits. There is worry in their parents’ eyes and uncertainty about the future.
For children living with cancer, Make-A-Wish brings strength to help them cope with treatment, hope for the future and sheer joy of their wish-come-true. Each year, an estimated 400 000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old develop cancer around the world. We need your help to make their wishes come true.