To CA State Senator Runner

This letter is being sent to California State Representatives 8/3/2015

Dear Senator Runner,

As you may very well know, currently there is a National Movement for greater Childhood Cancer Awareness. The leading disease-cause of death for children in our country, pediatric cancer, is one of the least-funded areas of cancer research—especially pediatric brain cancer, the deadliest of them all. Only 4% of our National Budget for Cancer Research goes to pediatric cancer as a whole. After losing my son to DIPG in 2012, a tumor responsible for 80% of pediatric brain tumor deaths with no survivors and no progress in over 35 years, it pains me to see other parents having to watch helplessly as their beloved child disappears from this world because “the numbers aren’t great enough for investors.” Well, now cumulatively that there are many thousands of such cases, we are demanding more support for our kids and awareness of this inequity in research funding.

Many of us across the country are asking our State Capitol buildings to “go GOLD” in the month of September, to support Childhood Cancer Awareness. Without awareness, there can be no change. We are a minority in the US, parents of children with cancer, but our numbers are not small, and no child’s life is insignificant. Please help us to make our children’s lives a National Priority. Please consider encouraging the Capitol of our Golden State to go GOLD in September for our kids.

I’d like to present this as an opportunity for California to continue the great leadership it already has, in the State Legislature’s passing of ACR151 thanks to Assemblyman Scott Wilk and the support of his colleagues. I can’t thank you enough, already, for this gesture of support for all families who are victims of DIPG. If you are not already aware, most of the high-profile cases of pediatric cancer this year have been DIPG—though of course, it was almost never said. Lauren Hill, after much protest from the population regarding Caitlin Jenner’s being honored and not her, was honored for her bravery at the ESPY’s, yet again—DIPG was never mentioned. When it is mentioned, in the media, it’s referred to as a “rare brain cancer,” when DIPG is responsible for 12% incidence(common) out of 170+ varieties of pediatric brain tumors, and responsible for most of the annual deaths for these children. I’ll be running through Sacramento on September 12 also for DIPG Awareness; as Jack’s Angels supports Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we continue to rally for a National Day for DIPG.

Please help me in encouraging our Governor to declare a Day for DIPG, as our Texas governor has, and hopefully our President will. We need your support to get State and local government buildings to “Go GOLD.” I sincerely believe that California will continue to be a leader for Childhood Cancer Awareness. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Respectfully yours,
Janet Demeter
Jack’s Angels Foundation
661-977-3125
[email protected]