ABOUT TY LOUIS CAMPBELL
PEDIATRIC CANCER
Ty Louis Campbell was 2 years & 10 months when he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor at the base of his skull. A perfectly healthy and active toddler was thrown into a life of pain, suffering & hospital beds for over a year. He has had multiple brain surgeries. He spent 167 nights in the hospital during the first year of treatment. He underwent 11 cycles of chemotherapy & 44 days of radiation therapy. Ty now suffers from radiation necrosis & it is devastating. This is a result of the radiation Ty had to receive to save his life from the cancer which has left him at 4 years old partially paralyzed.
Ty is far from alone in this unfair battle. Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children. Childhood cancer is responsible for taking the lives of more children and teenagers than any other disease. More than genetic anomalies, Cystic fibrosis & AIDS combined. One person out of every 330 will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20. Forty-seven kids were diagnosed today. Today, seven died.
The American Cancer Society’s annual report shows $1 billion in total public support and it’s extramural/intramural funding in priority areas shows only $4 million is directed to childhood cancer. That means that less than half a penny of each of these dollars is directed toward finding a cure for these kids.
Three out of every 5 children diagnosed with cancer suffer from long-term or late on-set side effects. When cancer strikes children, it affects them differently and the majority of childhood cancer survivors will suffer serious, chronic health problems as a result of treatment. Pediatric cancer needs more support and a cure needs to be found.
We need to help these children because no child should have to endure this kind of pain & suffering.