International Cancer Day- Feb 15th

A Day of Gold

Every year, February 15 is known as International Childhood Cancer Day – a day to increase awareness of pediatric cancer, support families in battle, remember loved ones, and salute survivors. The gold ribbon of pediatric cancer beautifully symbolizes the personal strength needed to endure diagnosis and treatment and the preciousness with which we hold all our children. Today, we remember our beautiful Taylor, applaud her determination, appreciate all she did for others while fighting her own battle, and proudly wear our gold ribbons to symbolize what a treasure she was to her family, friends, and the pediatric cancer community. Her legacy glistens.

At 11 years old, Taylor recognized everything International Childhood Cancer Day is about: the need for better diagnoses and treatments; the need for greater support for sick children, survivors, and their families; and the need for better and more equitable access to treatments around the world. Today, the incidence of childhood cancer is increasing and so are survival rates. But the battle is a brutal one and the availability of treatments depends too much on the family’s location and economic circumstances.

Taylor started tay-bandz to declare war on pediatric cancer and take our government to task for vastly underfunding childhood cancer research. Today, the Taylor Matthews Foundation continues her work by funding precision medicine and other research that can treat children everywhere and immediately, by seeking legislative change, and by breaking bureaucratic logjams that keep promising therapies from reaching treatment centers.

 

Taylor’s determination was limitless: to fight cancer, not be defined by it; to live meaningfully; and to make a difference. We are proud to carry her legacy. On this International Childhood Cancer Day, we stand with the international pediatric cancer community in its commitment to advance cures and transform care. We honor victims, survivors, and families everywhere and say loud and clear that we will never stop in our quest to see all our beautiful children live long, healthy, productive lives.

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