Celebrating Childhood Cancer Survivors

Celebrating Childhood Cancer Survivors - Children’s of Alabama recently hosted a cancer survivor’s day baseball event for childhood cancer survivors and their families at Region’s Field in Birmingham on June 8, 2014. Children’s sponsored the baseball game between the Birmingham Barons and the Jackson Generals, and fun was had by all with family, friends and coworkers. The survivorship event at Region’s Field was the first ever that Children’s has hosted, and they plan to continue the event each year in conjunction with National Cancer Survivors Day in June. 

Lindsey Jones, 18-year-old from Gurley, Ala., sang the National Anthem at the game. She is a survivor of a rare cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma that started in her brain and affected her vision.

"I spent the whole fourth year of my life in Children's. Out of the whole year, I was only able to come home six weeks. I would take radiation in the morning and chemo in the afternoon,” Jones explained.  

“The doctors didn't expect me to live, but now I'm a 13-year cancer survivor."

Children like Lindsey are a reason to celebrate. Today, 80 percent of children diagnosed with cancer will be cured of their illness. This has improved from less than 50 percent just two decades ago. More than 500 children in Alabama undergo cancer treatments each year. Through the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, the staff at Children’s of Alabama and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center work each day to find cures for all children with cancer and identify opportunities to limit the negative impacts of childhood cancer treatment. 

Childhood cancer touches all ethnic, gender and socio-economic groups. Supporting cancer research is critical in the efforts to find a cure. For more information, visit Children’s of Alabama’s website.