Beaded4cures

Please keep retinoblastoma warrior, Sariyah in your thoughts. She is 2 years old and does not deserve this fate. No child does.

It is incredibly unjust the miniscule amount of funding for research the United States government and gives to our children. 4% sounds like a fake number, something written up by a horror or fantasy writer. How could anyone decide that the life of a child is worth 4/100%? It's not fake however, our government really cares that little about thousands of it's young citizens. Citizens like Sariyah. We cannot continue to let this happen. We need to fight and have our voices heard. Advocacy and fundraising is key in this fight. Your voice is never too strong.

Happy 11th birthday Ali🎂

This picture warms my heart, as it shows how brave, kind and beautiful you will always be. We miss you loads, Ali. Your singing, giggles, faith, and smile were precious wonders that we'll never forget and will always miss getting more of.

Ali, you were worth the entire world. You were worth far 🎗️



#11

One main concern that is associated with Doxorubicin use in children is its effects on the heart. Doxorubicin affects the developing heart differently than the adult heart, so childhood exposure to can often lead to heart complications or heart failure. This heart failure can happen at any time after the patient receives this treatment, even years after treatment is done and the child is considered cancer-free. There is also however, a lack of knowledge and research done on the effects of doxorubicin on young hearts, and there is no clear picture of the molecular processes at play in key cell types present in heart tissue and vasculature, meaning early detection methods for heart conditions associated with this drug are lacking. The type of heart failure for young doxorubicin patients is irreversible and resistant to treatment strategies used for more common types of heart failure, and the resulting mortality rate for children who develop doxorubicin related heart failure is approximately 50%. As the number of survivors goes up, the statistics for patients experiencing cardiotoxicity appears parallel to those numbers. With an estimated 500,000 pediatric cancer survivors in 2020, 50,000 of those were estimated to be suffering from doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) 
Often you hear from advocates involved with pediatric cancer the need for more research. I hope through this information you can better understand why that is, that these drugs given to kids simply are not good enough. They are killing our children, the children of our world who would have grown up to do great things, who would have made great friends and lasting family members, who would have been strong leaders, who would have strived to achieve the greater good, who are forever loved by so many. Children’s developing bodies are not like adult bodies. Kids should not have to suffer so much because of a treatment meant to cure them, they should not have to die painful and unimaginable deaths because their treatment was far too toxic for their little bodies to handle. Cancer is scary enough, the least we can do is offer them treatment that isnt going to destroy and kill them.
(END)

Doxorubicin is also known as the “Red Devil” for its vesicant ( A chemical compound that causes severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation) properties, color, and side effects. These side effects include (but are not limited to):

-Increased risk of infection (due to drop in white blood cells)

-indicators of infection-> temperature changes, muscle aches, headaches, feeling cold+shivering, general feeling of unwellness, nausea+vomiting

-Breathlessness+Paleness (due to drop in red blood cells (anemia))

-Bruising+Bleeding Gums+Nosebleeds (due drop in platelets)

-Fatigue

-Hair Loss

-Sore Mouth

-Loss of Appetite

-Diarrhea or Constipation

-Nausea+Vomiting

-High Temperature

-Redness+Soreness+Peeling of hands and Feet (Palmar Plantar Syndrome)

-Heart “Changes” (includes damage+failure) 

-Liver “Changes”

-Weight Gain

-Rash+Itching 

-Loss of Fertility

-Menstrual Cycle Changes

-Nail Changes

-Dehydration

-Change in Skin Color (around administered area)

-Impared Growth

-Skin Tissue Damage upon Direct Contact (typically around IV site)

-Secondary Cancers
(cancerresearchuk.org)
(End Part 2)

Let’s talk Doxorubicin. What is it? Doxorubicin is a common and extremely toxic chemotherapy drug used to treat cancers such as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Ewing’s Sarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma, Lymphoma, Neuroblastoma, and Wilms Tumor; several types of cancer that occur in children. It is categorized as an “anthracycline” chemotherapy drug, meaning it is “a class of potent and widely used cytotoxic drugs, derived from antibiotics that inhibit DNA and RNA synthesis by intercalating between base pairs of the DNA/RNA strand. They create iron-mediated free oxygen radicals, damaging the DNA and cell membranes, and inhibit topoisomerase 2.” (sciencedirect.com) Topoisomerase 2 is an enzyme cancer cells need to divide and grow, and it is the blocking of this enzyme that is the reason why Doxorubicin is used. If this enzyme is blocked, the hope is that cancer cells will not be able to divide and grow within the affected body. What then, you may ask, is Topoisomerase 2 and its function within the body? “Topoisomerase 2 changes DNA topology by generating transient DNA double strand breaks and are essential for all eukaryotic cells. Mammalian cells have two topoisomerase II (TOP2) isoforms, TOP2α and TOP2β. TOP2α is essential for all cells, and is essential for separating replicated chromosomes.” (nature.com) Topoisomerases are “enzymes that are abundantly present in our cells and can temporarily cut and rejoin our DNA to remove knots and tangles that form during important biological processes. If they fail to do their job, cells may die.” (researchoutreach.org) 
Doxorubicin is often taken with other chemotherapy drugs, and is administered through an IV intravenously (directly into the bloodstream.) It was approved for medical use by the FDA in 1974, and is known as one of the most powerful chemotherapy drugs ever created. (End Part 1)

Eliana and family are new to this community. To follow Eliana's journey, please follow her page 🎗️💛

Eliana is 6 years old. Soon after starting kindergarten, Eliana started complaining about a stomach ache, so her parents took her to the ER. Scans showed a tumor the size of an eggplant in her abdomen, and on 9/10/21 she was diagnosed with stage 3 high risk Neuroblastoma. Eliana had her first round of chemo 10/6/21.

Please send well wishes and prayers for Eliana and her family as they battle this nightmarish disease. Don't forget to follow her page so you can keep up with updates and show your continuous love and support.

Percy was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on 6th March, 2020 at the age of just 2 years old.
Percy had a bone marrow transplant in late June 2020.

I wish I had more information on this boy, but there have been no updates on his Instagram page since June 2020. If anyone knows where I can find him or any updates, please let me know and I will post an update here.

Ariel hasn't been with us on this earth since January 8, 2020.
Though my heart and many others still hold her dear.
She wasn't born too long ago either, 5/11/2012 to be exact.
Why is such a young, goofy, beautiful soul no longer with us?
You already know the answer. Or, of course, you think you do. Cancer.
And while that may be right, many of the people who view stories like these fail to understand how they are not the same story told over and over again.
Ariel and her story are individually unique. Ariel is not just one amongst millions, she is Ariel.
There will never be another Ariel.
While her story may share similarities with others, Ariel was an individual. Each and every child shared on this page is an individual. They held unique characteristics in appearance, personality, soul, and in the eyes of those who love them. Ariel is Ariel. Who she was as an individual is unique, and it was stolen from this earth far too soon. Now we only hold her in our memories and hearts, when she should be here to hold.
That is why this matters. Each and every child who dies because of this terrible illness is an individual who had far too much to offer; far too much love left to give and be given.
This is something I hope you'll remember when reading these stories.

Charley was brought into the hospital in December of 2020 with a suspected stomach bug. Doctors could not find any reason why she was so sickly, so she was transferred to the ICU where they performed an ultrasound that revealed any parent's worst nightmare. A tumor too large for surgical removal was found in her lower abdomen. Charley was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. So quickly, this baby and her parents lives were turned upside down and they were thrown into a world of heartache, uncertainty, and pure hell.
Charley's tumor was very rare for her age, just 4 months old. Yet, she was giving a fighting chance of less than 50%.
Her parents were persistent, and they would not let Charley go down without a kick-ass fight.
After days in hospital on chemo her first time, it turned out Charley's tumor was unresponsive to chemo, so she tried radiation therapy instead.
During her journey, she also suffered from septic shock and was put on life support. She quickly came off it like the little fighter she is though.
Soon it was discovered that her tumor was calcified; dying but not shrinking. That gave her parents very limited options in deciding what the next step was for her treatment. Their best option for her, they decided, was surgery. They wanted to give Charley a chance, and the only way they could do that was giving surgery a chance. Unfortunately, Charley's surgery was unsuccessful due to bleeding complications, and a biopsy of her tumor showed that it was 98-99% active. Her prognosis was dropped to nearly 0%.
In September this year, Charley's ANC dropped and she became very ill. Despite the efforts of her parents and of her medical team, Charley gained her wings on September 6, 2021 at the age of 1.

No parent should have to lose their child, their daughter, their baby. Please send your prayers and well wishes to this family for now and whenever they cross your mind. Grief never ends, and your words mean a lot. Please also share this post and consider donating to a pediatric cancer charity or these families directly (LinkTree in bio) because it means the world and Charley and kids like her are worth 🎗️

Meet Rue! (.crew )
Don't be deceived by the look of this tiny girl, she's a tiny little warrior no doubt!
Born on 12-11-2020 weighing just 5lbs, Rue's parents noticed their new little girl was not gaining weight like she should have been. Rue's parents, like many others, were first given false information regarding their daughter's unusual symptoms. They kept pushing for answers though, and eventually Rue had an ultrasound preformed of he brain which revealed the diagnosis of Hydrocephalus (a build up of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain that can lead to brain damage) and a brain bleed. Further scans showed little Rue also had a large tumor in her head and metastasized tumors in her spine and brain. Her diagnosis is very rare; Pilomyxoid Glioma Astrocytoma (PMA.)
PMA was previously classified within the Pilocytic Astrocytoma (PA) category, but has shown different histological (microscopic tissue structure) features than PA. PMA also appears to be more aggressive than PA, with a decreased duration of disease-free survival and higher mortality rates. The diagnosis of PMA is made predominantly on the basis of histological features, whereas classic PA is a compact neuroplasm(an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should) with biphasic (having two phases) architecture. PMA is composed of piloid(hairlike) and highly monomorphous(showing little or no change in structure during the life history) cells. PMA displays a much more uniform and extensive myxoid(connective tissue) background.
Rue's family was not given a prognosis for their warrior girl. She has been treated through 12 rounds of chemotherapy thus far, as well as surgeries. Her other diagnoses include Diencephalic Syndrome(extreme emaciation and failure to thrive in the presence of hypothalamic (spinal) tumors) and Cortical Blindness.

Please send well wishes for this baby's future, and consider donating (LinkTree in bio) because Rue is worth

Despite what popular pediatric cancer charities, portrayals, foundations, and media would like you to believe, the truth about cancer in children is that it is not always hopeful. It's not always smiles and laughs and kids being able to be kids. Send your prayers, but unless we take greater action, children will continue to suffer and die. I have not experienced childhood cancer firsthand, but I have seen the true horrors these innocent children go through after diagnosis. The unimaginable pain, fear, exhaustion, heartache, etc. is far beyond traumatizing and what any child should ever have to experience. Most of them fight a battle that is not victorious in saving their life. Many faces in this community we see on the daily have to leave this earth. With each one, a future is lost. A friend. A loved one. Lost, to a disease payed so little mind by the people who could be moving mountains. They leave us to tackle these mountains stone by stone, but we must commit to this fight and carry our stone so that one day the mountains will clear and children will be able to roam free on open ground.

was just 8 years old, one of many taken from loving hands by cancer. May she rest peacefully in eternal paradise 🙏❤️

One of the most important parts of what I do on here to me is not only sharing these kid's stories, but sharing the symptoms that lead to their diagnosis. With a statistic like one childhood cancer diagnosis every 2 minutes around the world, it's my hope that parents and guardians of these little people will gain light of these symptoms and be cautious of them in their own child(ren.)

Meet Remy.
On March 9, 2021, Remy was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma before the age of 1.
Remy's symptoms were dismissed by doctors several times. As you can see in the pictures provided, his eyes started to become discolored and swollen. Doctors told his parents it was a simple black eye, that little Remy just played too rough like babies sometimes do. However, Remy's eyes got worse, and his parents suspected more was going on with their infant son, and their intuition was correct.
Remy was taken to Urgent Care and later a Children's hospital. Doctors found tumors in several separate parts of Remy's body. He had a tumor on his kidney, one on his adrenal gland, and 4 on his head that were pressing on his eyes, which were the real cause of his bruising.
After 2 surgeries and 8 cycles of chemotherapy (including the extremely toxic drug, Doxorubicin aka "Red Devil), in June Remy reached remission. On September 10, he completed treatment and has since had port-removal surgery.

Please wish Remy all the best, because his journey isn't over yet. Cancer warriors must remain cancer free for 5 years before considered "cured."

If you're concerned about your own child, please do not hesitate to find help. Remember, you are your child's best and greatest advocate.

Happy 2nd Birthday 🎂

Today is your second birthday, a day you are smiling and full of happiness. Your first birthday was spent with your loved ones on earth, your second is spent with your loved ones in heaven, though I'm sure you've done your best to let your presence be known to your family on earth today too. You're a bright star baby girl, you never stop shining 🌞

This handsome young man is Caleb.

In April of this year, Caleb was taken in for an MRI that revealed a tumor in his brain. Caleb's diagnosis is ETMR (embryonal tumors with multilayed rosettes.)

The noticable signs of this diagnosis were the seizures he was having.

Since his diagnosis in April, 3 year old Caleb has undergone 12 weeks of chemotherapy after a tumor removal surgery on April 10. The result of Caleb's brain surgery was that he lost his ability to eat and drink, and now attends physical therapy. A result of chemotherapy was losing his ability to hear high pitched sounds.

Caleb is also diagnosed as autistic.

What is ETMR?
These types of tumors mainly effect infants and small children and form in the brain and spinal cord. They are fast growing and almost always fatal. Treatments for this type of cancer are limited and frequently ineffective. Survival rates are far too low at anywhere from 19-57%.

A link to Caleb's GoFundMe will be available through my LinkTree in my bio.

You can support Caleb and the children I post about through donations, advocating, sharing their stories, and sending your support to the families.

Hello everyone, it's me again. I'm sorry for my long hiatus, I really have no excuse I don't feel ashamed about. Reality of why I've been gone is because it was getting very hard for me to mentally/emotionally handle all of the bad news that unfortunately comes with this community. It's nobody's fault but cancer's. It took the young lives of so many of the one of a kind, amazing kiddos whose stories I had been following and praying for and it took the life of a young girl in my hometown which really shattered my heart. I feel ashamed of my absence because the reason I was advocating was for those kids. They passed away but that was no reason for me to quit, my voice should have been louder than ever. There are new kids like the ones I held dear in my heart receiving their diagnosis, struggling, hurting, and dying every day. They deserve to have their voices heard, anything even by someone like me who doesn't have enough to offer them. I'd like you all to know that I am going to make more of an effort to continue advocating through this page, and hopefully expand to more platforms when I'm able. I'd like to use my artistic ability to produce items for sale to donate the profits to charities for kid's cancer research again. I'd love to hear from you what you think these items should be, I'm open to learning something new too. Thank you if you're reading this, and if you're new here I'd like to advise you read through my old posts to learn about pediatric cancer and why our kids are worth

That she has become one with the sun and sky will never cease to strike at my innocent incomprehension.

When I saw this video from Terah's Instagram story a couple weeks ago, I felt extremely compelled to take a screenshot of that moment. Everything about it shouts Indy's name in the most purest of ways. The way the sunlight perfectly beams down upon her. The way she holds onto her father. The way she smiles as she looks down upon her mother.

Indy Llew, a light of love. A true child of God. An angel who now resides in Heaven, not only awaiting her loved ones on earth, but filling fellow angels hearts with love and laughter, will be forever cherished and deeply loved.

Happy birthday to the sweetest, funniest, most brilliant girl in the whole world🤞✨

Za'Miya's 8 month battle with DIPG has come to an end.

Za'Miya is free from her earthly body that was so viciously taken over by an incurable monster called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. I'm sorry Za'Miya, and every child who has and will lose their short life to cancer, that we do not have a cure yet.
We will keep fighting for you. The scars on our hearts spell your name. Za'Miya, all other children lost, your story is not over. Because of you and the fight you so bravely fought or still fight, you have given us hope. Though our souls feel crushed, we still have hope. Hope for better. Hope for more. Hope that this will all end for good some day. You kept fighting until the very end, and so will we.

Please show your support for Za'Miya by leaving a heart below in her favorite color, yellow💛

Yesterday Miles turned 6 years old.

What this little boy went through after his diagnosis is beyond me. His fight is one that I am still breathless over to this day.
Some of the pictures posted on his page reminded me of my own time as a child (patient) in a hospital. Though I hadn't but a fraction of the experiences these cancer kids go through, being a sick kid in a hospital still left an impact on me. I know, for example, it's why I'm able to feel so strongly for these kids.
Unless you've felt the confusion, longing to be back home or in any familiar place again, discomfort, humiliation, sadness, and everything else that goes along with being a sick pediatric hospital patient, I don't think you'll ever truly understand why I hate cancer in kids so much.
They go through so much. So much more than you'll ever know. So much more than I'll ever know. It's more than what happens to them physically, it's also how it changes them mentally.
Children don't belong in hospitals. Children don't belong in hospital beds. Children don't belong far away from home and family. Children don't deserve to feel so scared and intimidated. They're just kids. This needs to end. They're innocent. They deserve innocence. They deserve a cure.

Happy birthday Miles, you brave, brave boy 💛

Happy 4th birthday Stevie Lynn 💗

This adorable baby girl is Kathleen ( )

Baby Kathleen was just 1 year old when she was diagnosed with High Risk Stage 4 Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma.

On December 9, just 19 days before her second birthday, this innocent and amazing babygirl's fight for survival ended. She fought for 423 days.

The number of children and infants who don't survive their cancer diagnosis is far too high. 7 pediatric cancer patients will succumb to their illness or the effects of the treatment every single day in the United States alone.
Through research like that provided through the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, new treatments can be found and we can have more hope for a cure. Please consider donating to the fundraiser linked to this post💛

Kathleen, we are sorry baby girl. This world just wasn't ready for someone as wonderful as you yet💔🎗️

14 year old Mabes from Australia was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma on January 18, 2021.

The day after her diagnosis, she decided to dye her hair, as suggested by a doctor. She was told to do this because the chemotherapy treatments she had to take would later cause all of her hair to fall out so she should do something fun with it before that happened.
Mabes posted a video of the process of dying her hair on her YouTube channel if you would like to see. It would mean a lot to her if you would subscribe to her channel and show her some love over there!💕
The link to her YouTube channel will be on my LinkTree available through my bio.

What is Ewing's Sarcoma?

Ewing's Sarcoma occurs in the bones or soft tissue around the bones. It most commonly starts in the leg bones and pelvis, but can occur in any bone. It is less often but still possible to start in the soft tissues of the chest, abdomen, limbs or other locations.
This type of cancer is most common in children and adolescents, but can develop at any age. It is most common in people of European descent, but it is currently unknown why or how it develops.
The treatments for this cancer are harsh, and survivors often need to remain monitored by medical professionals if they ever reach the remission phase or are cured.

The Symptoms:
•Pain, swelling, or tenderness near the affected area
•Bone pain
•Unexplained tiredness
•Fever
•Weight loss

If you would like to make a difference, I ask you please to consider donating to the fundraiser I've started for . The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on spreading awareness and researching childhood cancers for desperately needed developments in treatment and what we all hope, a cure.
Children shouldn't be given treatments older than their parents, but they are. Children shouldn't be given death sentences because we've failed them as a society, but they are. Make a difference. Donate, advocate, share

Jago is a 5 year old little boy from north London. He has a twin sister named Imogen.
For four years, Jago grew and played as an innocent child with his sister and mother whom the pair live with. Jago was a happy boy with a great love for his family and dinosaurs🦖
But everything changed, and it did so very quickly.
April 16, 2020, this beloved little boy was given a merciless death sentence.
DIPG, or Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, is a type of brain cancer with a 0% survival rate. It is inoperable and completely fatal. The treatments available for patients diagnosed with DIPG aren't a hope for a cure, but only prolonged life. (Please swipe left to view DIPG facts)
The statistic for the UK is about 20-40 DIPG diagnoses every year. That's 20-40 more dead and dying children; more lives brutally stripped away from someone so small, so helpless, so innocent.
An update from Jago's page 4 days ago stated that Jago has "started the dying process."
An innocent life, and far too many more, are being taken by this grossly underfunded disease.

If you would like to make a difference, I ask you please to consider donating to the fundraiser I've started for . The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on spreading awareness and researching childhood cancers for desperately needed developments in treatment and what we all hope, a cure.
Children shouldn't be given treatments older than their parents, but they are. Children shouldn't be given death sentences because we've failed them as a society, but they are. Make a difference. Donate, advocate, share, volunteer. Do your part in abolishing childhood cancer once and for all.