Gold Ribbon Hero Zayla M

Posted on March 11, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Zayla was diagnosed in 2005, at the age of 3, with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The “good cancer”. Four months before she was to complete treatment she was found to relapse in her CNS. After four months of more intense chemotherapy, we learned that her leukemia was spreading. In July 2007, at six years old, Zayla would have a bone marrow transplant. Her older sister Shelby was her donor. She had to have cranial radiation and Total body irradiation to rid her body of all cancer and accept her sisters new stem cells. Zayla had mild graft vs. host disease, but we were able to control it with medication. Zayla went six years with very little Heath concerns. She made the 5 year mark that most cancer families are excited to reach…..with no evidence of disease. In July 2013, Zayla had what appeared to be a stroke. After several tests and a brain biopsy it was found that Zayla had anaplastic astrocytoma cancerous brain tumor. Zayla’s brain tumor was inoperable. She would undergo 63 rounds of cranial radiation along with chemotherapy treatment five days every month. In the fall of 2014 it was found that treatment was not working. We would do another 12 days of radiation and start a new chemotherapy regimen. In February of 2015 we decided to stop the new chemotherapy because Zayla’s body was not able to handle it. Her recovery was extremely slow and her blood counts were dangerously low. Due to Zayla’s previous bone marrow transplant and leukemia treatment, all clinical trials were excluded. The treatment for her leukemia years ago, gave her terminal brain cancer and the treatment for leukemia excluded her from newer treatment clinical trials. Where is the fairness in that?!?!?!? From February 2015 until July 2015, we decided to try different holistic treatments along with Avastin infusions, which we were hoping would prevent the spreading of disease. In January 2016, Zayla’s MRI showed gliomatosis cerebri, or spiderweb like spreading of her Glioma throughout her brain. We attempted to get into different clinical trials with no success. In February 2016, Zayla was showing numerous signs of disease advancing and was placed on hospice. Today, Zayla is at the end of her cancer journey. The forever cure that we all wanted is going to be in a different form. We pray for peace and healing for our sweet 14 year old daughter.” – Chris M.

Gold Ribbon Hero Erik O

Posted on March 10, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: In my community, there is nobody I know that goes out of their way to do so much for local children with cancer and their families the way that Erik does. I can’t say enough how it amazes me at times to hop on to Facebook and see how much he gives of himself to try and make a difference for a child and their family going through a very tough time in their lives.

Through his amazing heart and selfless efforts he also raises the awareness of childhood cancer our area. I’ve witnessed him bring people together in our area to help with anything big or small to make an impact on a child fighting for their life and their families.

I can’t fill this box with enough words to describe the amazing work he does. I ask that you please give serious consideration and take the time to look at the efforts Erik continues to make day in and day out. He is truly a Hero in not only my eyes but the children and families he helps.” – Timothy G.

Gold Ribbon Hero Nicholas D

Posted on March 3, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Nicholas is 21 months remission and works hard in fundraising for his Kid Nicholas Going Gold 4 Kids founding hope , he wants people to be aware that children need to be heard and can’t fight alone , he is truly an amazing little boy who has given me such strength and inspiration to help so many and raising awareness for all children we never stop fighting !!” – Payricia D

YouCaring and the ACCO: Crowdfunding for Children With Cancer

Posted on February 29, 2016 by ACCO

YouCaring, the leader in free online fundraising, is proud to announce its partnership with the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO). ACCO is recognized as a true pioneer in the ongoing fight against childhood cancer and the promotion of childhood cancer educational materials and national and international awareness. YouCaring’s goal is to help the families of children battling this awful disease by offering resources, support and a free platform to raise funds for medical expenses and other costs involved in treatment.

A cancer diagnosis turns life upside down, and we feel the last thing families should have to worry about are financial burdens caused by the high costs of cancer. Research shows families fighting this disease are twice as likely to go bankrupt as those who are not.

Utilizing the power of your social networks to drive awareness and support, crowdfunding offers an effective way to quickly drum up support online from family, friends and potential donors all over the world.
YouCaring’s Top Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

1. Tell an Engaging Story

When telling your fundraising story, it’s important to explain your situation honestly and clearly communicate what the funds will enable you to do or provide to a loved one. Highlight your fundraising goal, a deadline if you have one and any specific details that help paint a personal and compelling picture about your cause. Answer questions such as who the fundraiser is for, what happened, and why it’s important to you. We also suggest finding similar YouCaring fundraisers that have successfully reached their goals and using them as a template for your own campaign.

2. Name Your Fundraiser

When choosing your campaign name, make it short, descriptive and simple to find when people are searching for it online. It’s also highly recommended that you always include the first and last name of the beneficiary in your fundraiser title since people generally always type this into the search field on YouCaring and in Google. Another insider tip is to include a unique hashtag within the title of your crowdfunding campaign. This will help people find your campaign online. To learn more about choosing a name for your campaign, see our post Great Ideas for Naming Your Online Fundraiser.

3. Upload Quality Images

Photos play an important part in your fundraiser’s overall success. High-quality images have a powerful effect on your potential supporters’ ability to develop empathy toward your cause. Data shows fundraisers with at least five photos raise more than twice as much as those with just one photo. As your campaign progresses, we recommend adding new images to keep it updated and engaging. For more ideas about the ways photos can benefit your campaign, read our article How Images Can Lead to Fundraising Success.

4. Make a Video

A video is one of the most effective ways to tell your story, elicit empathy for your cause, and emotionally connect with your potential donors. Using videos also drastically improves your chances of fundraising success. We’ve found that fundraisers using videos raise more than 100 percent on average than those that don’t. You can upload videos when you have campaign updates or if you’d like to make a thank you video for your donors. Either way, it’s a powerful and impactful way to communicate with people.

5. Share Often on Social Media

Using social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter is vital to the success of your fundraising campaign. With the click of a button, you’re able to instantly share your fundraiser with your friends and family and request that they help promote your campaign to their social networks as well. It’s also beneficial to create a unique hashtag to include in your posts. This way you make your campaign easier to find. Be sure to check out our post Creating and Using Social Media to Promote Your Fundraiser for additional tips.

6. Post Frequent Updates

Updating your crowdfunding campaign often will greatly impact your fundraising success. We suggest that you post text, photo and video updates at least once a week. This will help keep your fundraiser from losing momentum or stalling mid-campaign. We also recommend sharing good news as well as bad news in your updates so your supporters can stay up to date on your progress. Always make sure you’re sharing all of your updates to Facebook and Twitter, as well as a blog if you have one.

7. Create a Facebook Page For Your Fundraiser

Aside from having a personal Facebook account, many people have started creating public Facebook community pages specifically based on their campaign. Utilizing a Facebook page is an excellent way to promote your campaign, post daily or weekly updates, add photos and videos, maintain momentum and engage your supporters. It’s also a great way to continue motivating others to share your campaign and your posts to their social networks—the more exposure you have, the more donations you’ll receive.

YouCaring Fundraiser: Brayden’s Brave Battle

Image URL to be inserted in blog and photo ID: Brayden de Besche

On June 5, 2015, at the age of 2, Brayden de Besche was diagnosed with high-risk stage IV neuroblastoma. Since his family did not have any warning signs, the cancer had metastasized to his skull, upper and lower spine, pelvis, upper arms, femurs, tibias, thorax, lymph nodes and bone marrow, and one large mass developed next to his abdomen. For 15 months since his diagnoses, Brayden’s treatment includes at least 6 rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, radiation, surgery to remove tumors, multiple back-to-back stem cell transplants into his bone marrow and any other possible treatment to give him a chance at overcoming this disease. You can learn more about Brayden’s battle on his Facebook page, Brayden’s Brave Battle – Facebook.

YouCaring Fundraiser: Please Help Little Monroe Beat Cancer!

Image URL to be inserted in blog and photo ID: Monroe Okola

Monroe Okola was diagnosed with high-risk stage IV neuroblastoma in August 2015 at only 4 years old. Monroe’s family left behind their business, jobs, family, friends and all that is familiar to them to go to New York City so Monroe could be treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The facility treats more pediatric neuroblastoma cases than any other institution in the world and has a team of doctors who only handle neuroblastoma patients.You can learn more about Monroe’s fight on her Facebook page, Team Monroe – Facebook.

Start Your YouCaring Campaign in Partnership With the ACCO

Ready to begin collecting donations for medical expenses for a child cancer patient? You can create a free YouCaring fundraiser today. In addition to raising funds for cancer treatments and other costs, those wishing to contribute in other ways can start crowdfunding for kids with cancer to raise awareness, fund research or pay tribute to a loved one who passed away.

Gold Ribbon Hero Savannah R

Posted on February 28, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Savannah Nicole was a year and 2 months when doctors found a cancerous brain tumor. Later she was diagnosed with AML, and halfway in the year her tumor stopped responding to the chemotherapy, which caused 3 tumors to form near the eyes. Savannah has went through so much in just a short amount of time, in just the 8 months she lived that was taken by childhood cancer! Savannah has gone under the knife more than 5 times, maybe even more than 10, has had 2 brain surgeries, intense radiation after radiation, as well as chemotherapy. Savannah had to take more than 7 different medicines a NIGHT and was sedated every day for 6 weeks, Monday-Friday! Savannah just wanted to be normal and to have long hair. My baby was such a strong, strong little girl! Everyday was a constant struggle for my baby, since day 1, but you know what? She made it through each day and with a smile on her face! When doctors told me that Savannah would no longer walk, she walked. When doctors told me she wouldn’t be able to use her right arm and leg, she did! When she couldn’t walk because of the tumors in her spine, she walked, when she didn’t have a appetite, she’d push herself to eat. Savannah always encouraged herself an accomplished so much. She fought hard to live, to see her family, to see her sister. Savannah was just a smart, loving, most beautiful girl in this world! Savannah had a enormous heart that loved oh so deep, with beautiful big eyes! Before the radiation and chemotherapy she had long beautiful curled hair. Even after intense chemotherapy caused Savannah’s hair to fall out, she rocked and LOVED the bald look! Oh! Did she love her Disney movie frozen, especially Anna, she loved her apples, toys, food and her shoes and bald little head! Everyone loved Savannah. It has been 6 months since Savannah has left this earth, and people still ask for her, people always tell me how much they miss and lover her, and how much she has made an impact on their life and made them see life in a whole other perspective. So why is this person, my daughter a Gold Ribbon Hero? Because she was a FIGHTER! Through ever ounce of pain that she suffered, and that she endured, she always, and I mean ALWAYS kept a smile on her face! Savannah, my sweet girl, my world has taught me so, SO much, but mainly how to be #SavannahStrong!” – Ashley R.

Gold Ribbon Hero Elijah R

Posted on February 16, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Elijah James or EJ as we call him was dx with ATRT when he was 6 months old. EJ is battling 3 tumors 2 in his right/left side of his brain and one in his left kidney. EJ is fighting for his life and he is such a little fighter,for a baby. He just had his 1st birthday and every where we go he captives the heart of ppl. He’s eyes alone drives you in and his laughter is contiguous. For these reason my son is my hero my little superman.” – Sonia C.

We Are One: Over 900,000 Children Raise Their Voices Against Childhood Cancer!

Posted on February 15, 2016 by ACCO

In January, childhood cancer advocacy and support groups from across the globe joined together to ask children and teens everywhere to raise their voices against childhood cancer. The response has been overwhelming! More than 900,000 children and teens from around the world joined the Child4Child campaign to raise their voices in song and let all children bravely battling this disease know that they are not alone. And today, International Childhood Cancer Day 2016, the results of this incredible, world-wide awareness campaign are ready!

Today, the new hit song We Are One is globally available on all major streaming and music platforms, including Amazon, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Music, Iheartradio, ITunes, Rhapsody, Shazam, Slacker, Spotify, Tidal, Xbox Music, and Youtube.

Watch the amazing, moving We Are One music video:

We Are One was written especially for the Child4Child campaign by prolific Hollywood composer and creator of the soundtrack for Disney’s Frozen Christophe Beck and his 12-year-old daughter Sophie. The video was directed and edited by internationally-renowned director Johan Söderberg, best known for directing David Bowie’s last music video, as well as videos for Beyoncé and Madonna. The verses of We Are One are sung by well-known and talented musical stars from around the world, including Sophie Beck, Livvy Stubenrauch (the voice of Anna in Disney’s Frozen), and Alexa Curtis (winner of The Voice Kids Australia 2014). Cameron Dallas, Aaralyn O’Neil, Olivia Swinton, Fresh Ré, and so many other well-known talented children and teens have joined the chorus as well; indeed, celebrities from around the world have added their star power to this incredible, growing movement to raise awareness about the devastating impact of childhood cancer on children and their families. But,

**The voices you hear in We Are One are yours!**

**The faces you see in this special video are yours!**

The World Unites to Fight Childhood Cancer in New Hit Song

The chorus of We Are One is a compilation of the voices of more than 900,000 children and teens who participated in the Child4Child campaign by recording themselves singing the powerful words. In fact, the campaign became a trending topic on Musical.ly just hours after Child4Child launched on January 11. But these amazing kids didn’t just record themselves singing; the energy and creativity that so many of them gave to this campaign simply amazed us. They choreographed special dances, they lip-synced videos, and even created their own unique covers! Children recorded themselves solo, with their siblings and families, with school groups and church groups, and most importantly, with and in honor of the special childhood cancer warriors who have touched their lives.

So, as Mr. Beck compiled these voices into a beautiful global chorus and Mr. Söderberg used as many videos and contributions as he could to create a powerful music video, We Are One truly is a global phenomenon, one that could not have been completed without you! And we, the childhood cancer community in the United States and around the world, and in the name of the children and their families whose lives have been impacted forever by childhood cancer, thank you for your help and support.

The Child4Child Campaign Continues

Every day around the world, 700 children are diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer and countless more in low-income countries fail to receive a diagnosis due to lack of access to basic medical care. Despite major advances in cancer treatment for many forms of adult cancer, 1 in 5 children who receive a cancer diagnosis will not survive, while those that do face life-long health problems as a result of today’s outdated childhood cancer treatments. The goal of the Child4Child campaign is simple: to remind us of the terrible toll childhood cancer takes on children and their families today, to shine a spotlight on the urgent need for new and better treatment options, and to demand equal access to diagnosis, treatment, and even basic healthcare for children in low-income countries.

Today, on International Childhood Cancer Day, we remind you that the growing awareness of this disease and the powerful call for greater action that We Are One represents must continue. Indeed, Child4Child is just one part of the on-going global campaign to make the voices calling for an end to childhood cancer louder than ever before. To show your support, we encourage you to download this amazing new hit song and video, and continue the movement by going to Child4Child.com and recording your support now!

To download the official music video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBzuYXCEDis.

To participate in Child4Child, or to learn more about this amazing initiative, visit www.child4child.com.

To learn more about the ACCO and our mission, visit www.acco.org.

Atlanta Law Firm Announces New Leukemia Scholarship Winner

Posted on February 12, 2016 by ACCO

Christopher Gitter

Atlanta law firm, John Foy & Associates, announced their first winner of a bi-annual “Strong Arm” Leukemia Scholarship. Christopher Gitter, 18, a Mendota Heights, MN, resident was awarded the first “Strong Arm” Leukemia Scholarship. Chris will use the $1,000 as an incoming college freshman in Fall 2016. He has already been accepted into the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences at University of Wisconsin, Madison. Christopher is waiting to hear from a few more schools, but if he decides to attend Wisconsin, he will be a fifth-generation Badger. Read more and watch the interview with Chris here.

Read Chris’s Winning Essay Here.

Gold Ribbon Hero Emri B

Posted on February 10, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: A 13 year old with two B9 brain tumors on her brain stem. Who was also diagnosed with a stage 4 gleosarcoma at the age of 11; the doctors were able to remove it. She has hope for the future and her health defect (Neurofibromatosis), and in her heart she knows she will be able to live for another day.” – Addy J

Gold Ribbon Hero Lisa M

Posted on February 9, 2016 by ACCO

“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: A survivor of nuroblastoma childhood cancer. My daughter is my hero. She was diagnosed at 5/1/2 months at Arkansas children’s hospital. The main tumor was removed an took chemotherapy for 6 months. She had many complications an many times thought would not live. Now she is 24 an is an LPN an in RN school while working full time. She wants to work with cancer patients! She is my miracle so blessed to be her mom.” – Grace M.