• Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children - more than asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and pediatric AIDS combined.
• Attempts to detect childhood cancers at an earlier stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, have largely failed. Young patients often have a more advanced stage of cancer when first diagnosed.
• Cancer in childhood occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class or geographic region.

Philanthropy supports exemplary patient care, research initiatives and specialized programs to assist patients and their families through the cancer experience. These programs cannot exist without the partnership of a concerned and philanthropic community.

Proceeds from A Celebration of Courage will focus on the needs of cancer survivors through a specialized program, the Center for Survivor Wellness which provides care to the ever-increasing pediatric population that has successfully completed cancer treatment.

The Center for Survivor Wellness Improvements in diagnosis, treatment modalities and supportive care have led to increased cancer survival rates. It is estimated that there are 10 million survivors of cancer currently in the United States, including 1 in 250 young adults. With improvements in survival comes the recognition that the treatment of cancer is not benign. The issues are myriad and include medical complications that can affect every organ system, in-fertility, psychosocial issues including post-traumatic stress disorder, and educational and vocational issues that limit full participation in society. Frequently, primary care physicians and oncologists are unaware of the long term complications of treatment, let alone equipped to screen for and treat these complications. Survivors therefore are often left to cope with these issues on their own.

Recognizing the multitude of issues facing cancer survivorship, the Center for Survivor Wellness was created in July 2006 as an integral part of the HICAOC. Supported by philanthropy, the program staff includes a medical director, family nurse practitioner, clinical coordinator and part-time navigator. This unique program utilizes the resources of our division's integrative medicine program and the neuropsychological program to provide comprehensive services to our survivors. Supplementing the clinic experience are a number of programs including SAT prep courses, pro bono college counseling, summer internship programs, nutritional counseling and free exercise classes. A fertility preservation consultation service has been developed to provide counseling to on and off therapy pediatric patients and their families.

As reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation, "cancer survivors are facing neglect". Recognizing this fact, we propose to expand our pediatric model to adult cancer patients cared for at Columbia University Medical Center.

These programs can only succeed with the support of the philanthropic community and the generosity of people like you.