On Tuesday, some of ACS CAN’s youngest volunteers were on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers on behalf of childhood cancer patients and survivors.
The seventh annual Childhood Cancer Action Day, organized by the Alliance for Childhood Cancer, brings together advocates from many patient groups.
The Loos family, ACS CAN volunteers from Missouri, were amongst the volunteers on Capitol Hill.
Rhyan Loos was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma when she was six years old. Now cancer-free, Rhyan, her parents and her brother met with their senators and representatives and asked them to support legislation, like the STAR Act, that expands research into childhood cancers.
Her dad, Brad, talked to ACS CAN about Rhyan’s cancer journey earlier this year. “It’s a bomb that’s dropped on you. Rhyan went from playing in the cul-de-sac to having stage four cancer in 48 hours, “ Brad said.
Each year, more than 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer and far too many will face grueling medical treatments and a lifetime of potential chronic health conditions.
The STAR Act, which recently passed the U.S. Senate, lays the groundwork for new breakthroughs in researching and treating childhood cancer.
The STAR Act, now awaiting a vote in the U.S. House, provides the opportunity to:
Brad Loos said, “My daughter is going to wear hearing aids the rest of her life because of the treatments we used to save her life. We're putting these kids’ lives at risk to save their life. We can do better than that.”
Join the Loos family and ask your U.S. Representative to pass the STAR Act so children like Rhyan can have a childhood that doesn’t involve fighting cancer.
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.