September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Georgia, with doctors, families and cancer survivors using the observance to call attention to the need for additional pediatric cancer research and funding.

Governor Brian Kemp joined families, advocates and physicians at the State Capitol Monday to officially recognize the month. The event included young cancer patients and survivors whose families say increased awareness can lead to greater research funding and improved treatments.

The numbers show the impact childhood cancer continues to have on Georgia families.

According to state data cited by FOX 5 Atlanta, approximately 5,900 children in Georgia were diagnosed with cancer between 2014 and 2023. The Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research says an average of 47 children are diagnosed with cancer every day nationwide.

Among those speaking out was 18-year-old Keren, an Atlanta-area three-time cancer survivor who has battled AML, a form of blood cancer. According to the Rally Foundation, she has raised more than $70,000 for cancer research while undergoing her own treatments.

Another parent, Emily Williams, said her daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with blood cancer at just two years old. Williams said raising public awareness is important because awareness can ultimately lead to action.

Advocates Push For More Research

The Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, based in Sandy Springs, has become a major advocate for increasing pediatric cancer research. The organization reports awarding $47.5 million in research grants and helping secure more than $317.5 million through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.

Dr. Sharon Castellino, a pediatric oncologist with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, said the goal must go beyond helping children survive cancer. Researchers must continue developing and improving treatments for young patients.

There have been some encouraging developments. Advocates say federal policy changes have improved access for families relying on Medicaid, while research investment has increased.

Georgia has also begun incorporating pediatric cancer into the Georgia Cancer Plan, making it one of only 14 states to include childhood cancer cases in such planning.

State Representative Sharon Cooper of Marietta noted that approximately 520,000 childhood cancer survivors are living in the United States today.

For families and advocates, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity not only to recognize children currently undergoing treatment and remember those who have died, but also to press for the research and resources needed to develop better treatments for children diagnosed in the future.