WEAR A BRAVERY BEAD TO SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH CANCER

7/3/07

Child Cancer Foundation Appeal Week - 19-25 March 2007

Four year old cancer survivor Samantha Turnwald from Ohaupo, Waikato has a beautiful (and long) string of beads that she wants you to know all about.

Sam is just one of the 150 children and young people diagnosed with cancer every year in New Zealand and her beads document the journey of her difficult treatment through childhood cancer.

One for hair loss, one for a blood transfusion, one for an x-ray, one for chemotherapy…

If you visit Starship Children’s Health Haematology/ Oncology ward you will see children with cancer cherishing their own individual set of beads as part of a ‘Bravery Beads’ programme.

The Bravery Beads initiative uses different coloured beads to visually acknowledge the courage of children with cancer as they undergo often painful and distressing procedures and treatments.

Next week (19 to 25 March) is the annual Child Cancer Foundation Appeal and for the first time everyone can help support children with cancer by donating and wearing a blue ‘Support bead’ bracelet.

“Many of these brave children, and their families, go through years of treatment resulting in hundreds of painful procedures,” says Child Cancer Foundation CEO Jim Barclay.

“Appeal Week is the time for big hearted kiwis everywhere to dig deep and help us support these children and families. Children with cancer and their families need our support, and we need yours, so please donate to the Child Cancer Foundation and pick up one of our ‘Support beads’,” says Barclay.

Funds raised during the Child Cancer Foundation Appeal Week will go to introducing the official ‘Beads of Courage’ programme to paediatric oncology treatment centres nationwide and to vital research into Late Effects – the after effects that children treated for cancer experience over time.

As the success rate of treatment continues to increase, currently 80% of New Zealand children treated for cancer survive, research and funding in this area becomes progressively more important.

In addition, the Foundation will continue to provide essential day to day support services for children and their families facing childhood cancer.

Donate $4 or more and pick up your Child Cancer Foundation ‘Support Bead’ from the Professionals Real Estate Group, JK Kids Gear, the Mad Butcher, Retravision, Hyundai Dealer Networks or Child Cancer Foundation street collectors.

For more media information contact:

Kirsty McFadden, Child Cancer Foundation
Phone: 09 303 9972 or 021 970 770
Email: kmcfadden@childcancer.org.nz

2007 Child Cancer Foundation TVC

· Click here to download the TVC