67 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com September brings us many refreshing changes: summer temperatures begin to subside, the leaves start to turn their beautiful colors and football is in full swing. But it is also a time set aside to acknowledge a terrifying reality for some families: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Every 3 minutes, a family is told their child has been diagnosed with cancer, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization. To put that into perspective, in the span of that football commercial break, somewhere a family’s world has been upended. Yet amid the onslaught of things to follow – mounting medical bills, transportation and childcare needs, testing, treatments, surgeries and the anxiety for the unknown, there is hope and support. “Unfortunately, when we tell a person they have cancer, we flip their world upside down,” said Tiombe Plair, a cancer and blood disorders social worker with MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. “But there are organizations locally and nationwide which can help them in so many ways.” According to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas (CCPC), South Carolina only has three treatment locations for pediatric cancer. While Mount Pleasant is lucky enough to have Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in our backyard, others must travel hours for treatments. CCPC offers support with travel and lodging, along with other necessities like meal support that can make a big difference. “If you have daily radiation and you’re coming from Greenville to Charleston for treatment, it makes more sense to stay overnight. They can help with local lodging,” Plair explained. She added that CCPC also hosts virtual peer events. Make-A-Wish and Carolina Sunshine for Children are both ‘wish agencies.’ “These wishes are usually something that an average family can’t do themselves; a oncein-a-lifetime family adventure, a whole shopping spree for all things bike-related, a skateboard signed by Tony Hawk that no one else has – those are just examples,” she said. “These wish agencies want to acknowledge that you’ve battled and overcome a lot, and this is one way your community can celebrate you.” Courageous Kidz and Camp Happy Days both offer year-round support to cancer patients and their families by providing financial assistance to help with groceries, gas and everyday needs, and by connecting kids who have had cancer – and their siblings – through in-person and virtual camps. Mount Pleasant’s Brady LaBelle, now 14, started attending Camp Happy Days three years ago when he was finishing cancer treatments. “It was really fun making tons of friends throughout the state who have gone through Too Young Coping with childhood cancer BY ANNE TOOLE health and wellness Brady LaBelle
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