Donna Day

I’ve not written for a few days (hey, I’ve been busy, give me a break), and in thinking about today’s column a couple of different ideas danced around in my head. One is about super powers, and how our desire for them changes as we grow, and the other is about problems, those we invent and those we don’t even try to solve. Both amused me as I thought about them, and maybe they’d amuse you if I wrote about them.

Then I went on Facebook and this column wrote itself.

Today is Donna Day. Don’t know what Donna Day is? Well, lucky for you there’s an internet and there we can find all sorts of information. Even information about Donna Day. Or Donna’s Story.

But if you’re one of those people who aren’t going to go clicking on links all willy-nilly, then let me explain. Donna was a girl. Born in 2005. Diagnosed with cancer in 2007. She died in 2009, just over four years old. I didn’t know her and I don’t know her parents. But her mom writes some pretty incredible stuff, both about Donna’s story and her own story as a parent of a child with cancer.

Donna Day is the day where bloggers get together and ask their readers to donate some money to try and cure pediatric cancer.

So, dear reader, here’s the plan: We’re going to donate to St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which is the foremost pediatric cancer research fundraising organization. Those of you who know me will remember that Boy’04 and Boy’06 participated with me in St. Baldrick’s fundraisers in the past. In the four or five years that we participated, we raised over $2,000, thanks to generous family and friends. I’m proud of that.

This year we’re not going to shave. But you can still donate. Give to St. Baldrick’s in Donna’s Name, and the organization her parents started after her death, Donna’s Good Things.

I can’t think of anything more difficult to think about, but more necessary to act against, than childhood cancer.

It’s easy to ignore. No one wants to read a sad story that frequently ends in a child’s death. It’s much easier to just scroll on past the link and watch some cutesy video or chuckle at the latest meme. But cancer cannot be ignored. If it’s ignored, it prospers. The only way to eliminate it is to focus on it. Think about it. Do something about it. Act.

Cancer will affect about 1 in 300 kids before they turn twenty years old. Do you know how many kids that is? Think about your child’s elementary school. The statistics say that one kid in that school is going to get cancer before they turn twenty. So although you don’t know a kid with cancer now, there’s a good chance that you will in the future.

And if you’re lucky, all you’ll have to do is explain to your child why their friend is no longer in school. Or why their friend is now bald. Or why their friend can’t go outside for recess. Or why every car suddenly has a ribbon on it. And eventually, if things turn out how they often do for kids with cancer, why so many adults have tears in their eyes, or why the school had a moment of silence to start the day.

Those are difficult conversations to have. Your kids might not understand. They might cry. They might get upset. They might miss their friend.

But you’re lucky, because your child is still there.

It boggles my mind that this is still even a problem. It shouldn’t be a problem. It should be a thing. Kids should be confused by it. Sort of like when we mention a time before the internet. Imagine a world where kids learn about cancer in history books instead of doctor’s offices.

Donna’s mom isn’t raising awareness and raising funds to prevent cancer in Donna. It’s too late for her. She’s trying to prevent cancer in someone else’s child. She’s doing something. She’s taking action. And no matter how difficult it is, we can’t ignore it. We all need to think, to act, to give.

And it just occurred to me that even though I didn’t write the blog I planned to write, I still ended up writing about super powers and solving problems.