Hi there! Mica and Bridget here to introduce our spring/summer series highlighting childhood cancer prevention research. This series really began when we were young kids, faced with the terminal illness of our cousin and twin brother. As you might imagine, being confronted with the devastating realities of childhood cancer impacted how we work and move in the world today. Additionally, we’ve seen how rates of childhood brain tumors and leukemia have only continued to increase since the 1970s. New research suggests this increase is linked to common ingredients in products that we use every day, like cleaning sprays and herbicides.
As we dive into the nitty gritty of our 12-week childhood cancer prevention campaign, we wanted to share our main source of information and inspiration. We dove deep into the Childhood Cancer Prevention Report that focuses on “cross-sector strategies for childhood cancer prevention.” While tragically there seems to be no shortage of environmental/household risk factors for exposure to carcinogens, there are just as many opportunities for intervention and prevention! This report links childhood cancer to chemical exposure in the home, learning, and playing environments, yet also empowers businesses as agents of change, and recommends policy change to drive systemic prevention of childhood cancer. A great amount of the information presented these next 12 weeks will be drawn from this report, as well as from other organizations, scientific reports, and environmental justice campaigns we’ve researched. We can’t wait to get started! Access the report here: https://www.cancerfreeeconomy.org/childhood_cancer…/
By the end of this series, our goal is to expand the way we think about ending childhood cancer. There are ways for each of us to protect, advocate for, and educate ourselves and those around us to decrease rates of childhood cancer. More prevention means less children diagnosed with cancer, and less cousins/sisters that have to do this work. Be sure to follow the series on social media and check back often for updates!
