Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation is an organization that provides help to children and the families of children who have been diagnosed with cancer. They provide education, support, and guidance for these children and their families.
Courtesy of Candlelighters.org
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, or CCCF, is especially unique because the people who run it, as well as those who founded it in 1970, are concerned parents of children with cancer. Today, it has over 50,000 members in its national office and more than 100,000 members across the country. These parents have also spread out into affiliate groups across the country. Local groups include the Candlelighters of Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, who works with children and the parents of children who have been placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). CCCF existence is due to the knowledge members have of the hardships that come along with children with cancer. CCCF has noticed that children with cancer often have young parents with a low income and often times with other children. One parent needs to give up a job to care for the child being treated with cancer.
CCCF also recognizes that treating cancer is to say the least, a stressful event. Children with cancer are usually treated through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. CCCF tries to offer their support and help to these families, as well as the children. CCCF has set up informative books, message boards, chat rooms, and support groups, many of which are online, to aide the families. For the children, game centers, clubs, and fun websites have been set up to help the children cope with their cancer. CCCF sees these support groups, message boards, clubs, etc. as a good way to cope with your or your child's cancer and/or to help others cope, too. Since around 35% of children who have cancer will die, and one in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20, CCCF sees it necessary to help as much as possible.
Courtesy of Candlelighters of El Paso
CCCF is an organization of faith because of the fact that members are people who have struggled with cancer in their or their child's lives. These people are people who have come with faith out of a situation where there is little faith. These people have struggled through a time where Faith in God is of paramount importance. Parents with children suffering from cancer need faith in their doctors, in each other, and faith in the ability to get out of their situation with their children still alive. CCCF is an organization of faith because they try to generate faith and hope in the parents and children who presently struggle with cancer. These members not only give their time, support, and guidance to these people, but they give it for free. What is also significant of CCCF's faith is that it receives no government or hospital funding. All the money comes from private donors. The needs are great for the families struggling with cancer, and that is why the support, guidance, and help offered free of charge from people of experience, is a testament to CCCF's faith. For more information, click on the title.
