Skip to main content

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Join St. Jude this September as we honor those with pediatric cancer. St. Jude won't stop until no child — anywhere — dies from cancer.

OUR CAUSE UNITES ALL

 
 
St. Jude patient Mischeel smiling with a yellow ribbon surrounding her.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month facts

At St. Jude, we are a leader in advancing cures for childhood cancer in the U.S. and around the world.

  

 
 
Illustration of person in lab coat standing in front of floating health care-related icons and a large yellow calendar

On average, more than 290 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer every week.

Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped improve the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since the hospital opened in 1962. St. Jude leads more clinical trials for childhood cancer than any other children's hospital in the U.S.

Learn more about our open clinical trials >

 
“Illustration of two people holding a large gold ribbon with the Earth, overlaid with sparkling clouds, set behind them.

About 90% of children with cancer live in low- and middle-income countries where they lack access to adequate diagnosis and treatment. Most of these children will die from their disease.

In high-income nations, such as the U.S., survival rates for pediatric cancers exceed 80%. To bridge this gap, St. Jude created St. Jude Global. This initiative brings together people, institutions and organizations for a common goal. They are dedicated to improving quality of care and increasing survival rates worldwide for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. St. Jude Global is organized into 7 regions and a growing number of programs that help gather and share knowledge. The St. Jude Global Alliance brings together almost 300 member institutions and foundations. They have created a global community that works together to address disparities in access to diagnosis and care around the world.  

Learn more about St. Jude Global >

 
 
Illustration of a person in a lab coat holding a beaker in front of the Earth, while a smaller person on the bottom right holds a gold ribbon.

Worldwide, about 400,000 children and adolescents develop cancer each year. Only half of these children’s diseases are diagnosed.

To further advance cures, we share our research worldwide through data-sharing and analysis resources. St. Jude is the only World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer and has partnered with WHO to create the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer which aims to cure at least 60% (6 out of 10) of children with 6 of the most common cancers by 2030. St. Jude, WHO and other international partners are also developing the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines to address the inconsistent availability of quality essential cancer medicines. 

Learn more about the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer >

 
Illustration of a three people in white lab coats conducting experiments in a lab.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus that causes 6 types of cancer. A safe and effective vaccine is available to provide long-lasting protection against HPV cancers. 

Nearly everyone is exposed to HPV at some point in their lives. HPV vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 9–26 years and for some people aged 27–45 years. HPV vaccination is cancer prevention. Vaccination is especially important for childhood cancer survivors who are at an increased risk of developing HPV cancers in adulthood.

Learn about the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program >

 
 
 
yellow ribbon

Our stories and research

At St. Jude, we are committed to advancing research that helps make lifesaving cures more possible for kids with cancer. Learn about our patients, their diagnoses and how St. Jude is helping.

  

 
 
  1. Vanessa

    Acute Myeloid Leukemia

     
     
    St. Jude patient Vanessa holds a framed photo of herself from her No More Chemo party at St. Jude.
     

    You can never truly comprehend the battle being waged against cancer within those walls. The effort to save my child's life is truly remarkable.

    St. Jude patient Vanessa's father

      

    Vanessa was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. She was referred to St. Jude where she received chemotherapy. She was placed on the protocol for AML 16, a clinical trial which involved epigenetic priming for chemotherapy. 
    Read her story

     
     

    Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

    Leukemia

     
     

    St. Jude research on AML

    Scientists advanced Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for AML by changing the design so that it could target two proteins, making it more effective. 

    Learn more about our clinical trials for AML >

     
     
  2. Azalea

    Rhabdomyosarcoma

     
     
    St. Jude patient Azalea holds a framed photo of herself from when she was in treatment at St. Jude.
     

     Seeing my child and other children fight for their lives made me realize that whatever I am faced with, I can get through it, just like they did. Each time I am confronted with a challenge, I envision the strength of a St. Jude patient.

    St. Jude patient Azalea's mother

      

    Azalea was diagnosed with a soft tissue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma.  At St. Jude, she started an intensive treatment plan that included chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
    Read her story.

     
     

    Rhabdomyosarcoma

    Soft tissue cancer

     
     

    St. Jude research on rhabdomyosarcoma

    Pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma usually starts in muscles, but not always. Scientists at St. Jude identified a specific mutated protein that could help doctors better understand which cells give rise to these tumors.

    Learn more about our clinical trials for rhabdomyosarcoma >

     
     
  3. Chance

    Medulloblastoma

     
     
    St. Jude patient Chance looks at his mother and smiles.
     

    When you get this diagnosis and the love of your life has such impossible odds, the greatest gift anyone can give you is hope. And that’s what St. Jude has given us.

    St. Jude patient Chance's mother

      

    Chance was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. At St. Jude, he underwent proton beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy to treat the cancer in his brain and spine. 
    Read his story.

     
     

    Medulloblastoma

    Brain cancer

     
     

    St. Jude research on medulloblastoma

    Scientists at St. Jude discovered a new compound that selectively targets parts of a cancer-related protein called EP300/CBP in Group 3 medulloblastoma. This more specific targeted approach was more effective in the lab. 

    Learn more about our clinical trials for medulloblastoma >

     
     
 
 

Spotlight on research and treatment

The mission of St. Jude is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.

  

 
 

St. Jude is committed to identifying novel therapies to improve survival rates for DIPG

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a type of high-grade glioma that is found in the brainstem.  There is no known cure for DIPG. Fewer than 10% of the children diagnosed in the U.S. survive more than 2 years. St. Jude is committed to identifying novel therapies to improve survival rates for DIPG. DIPG treatment is aimed at lengthening survival time and involves radiation therapy . The use of chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy or cellular therapy is also being explored in clinical trials.

Learn about our clinical trials for DIPG >

 
 
 
 

OUR CAUSE UNITES ALL

How to support childhood cancer awareness

Join St. Jude to raise awareness during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by participating in our activities and fundraising efforts. Let's rally behind a cause that truly unites us all: Finding cures. Saving children.®  Together, we can help cure childhood cancer. 

Join us for a St. Jude Walk/Run

Help the kids of St. Jude by registering for a St. Jude Walk/Run in your community.

Supporters at the 2019 St. Jude Walk/Run Memphis

Dedicate a donation

Make your donation even more meaningful by dedicating your gift in honor or in memory of someone.

An illustration of a picture frame with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month on the frame.

Become a monthly donor

Your monthly donation will sustain the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

St. Jude patient James wears a green St. Jude T-shirt and climbs on colorful playground equipment.

Shop our gift shop

Show your support for St. Jude by purchasing T-shirts, mugs and more — all benefiting our lifeasaving mission.

Promotional image showing gold themed merchandise available in the Gift Shop for Childhood Cancer Awareness month.

Explore brands supporting St. Jude

You can help give to pediatric cancer research by exploring companies and products giving back to St. Jude during September.

A little boy wearing glassses and a blue shirt surrounded by a CCAM gold ribbon.

Donate toys and supplies

Explore items you can donate to St. Jude to help kids with cancer.

St. Jude patient Lizzie sits in a colorful playroom, holding a doll.

Your generous donation makes a difference*

Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

*Items listed here are representative of services and supplies that are part of the treatment and care of children at St. Jude. The cost of each item or service is an approximation, and will vary based on actual costs incurred and individual patient needs. Your donation will be used for the general operating needs of St. Jude, where no family ever receives a bill for treatment, lodging, travel or food.

10 Dollars

Could help St. Jude provide one platelet count test for a St. Jude patient.*

25 Dollars

Could help provide one rehabilitation ball for St. Jude patients.*

50 Dollars

Could help provide two days of meals to a St. Jude patient.*

75 Dollars

Could help provide medical teaching dolls for St. Jude patients.*

Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude, you can help make cures possible for kids with cancer. Together, we can save more lives.

Join St. Jude this September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

St. Jude patient Hunter. who has a prosthetic right leg, stands proudly while a yellow ribbon encircles him.

St. Jude patient Hunter

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month FAQs

  

 
Gold ribbon Childhood Cancer Awareness Month artwork by St. Jude survivor Tayde.

Gold ribbon art by St. Jude survivor Tayde

 
  1. National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is in September.

  2. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) — a time of year we and other organizations honor children and survivors affected by pediatric cancer in order to raise awareness and continue the research and treatment of the disease. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14. 

  3. International Childhood Cancer Day is Feb. 15. This is a separate awareness day from Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

 
  1. The color gold and the gold ribbon are symbols of support for children affected with cancer.

  2. You can promote childhood cancer awareness by sharing this page with friends, family and colleagues, or #ShowYourGold this September by sharing a picture while wearing gold on any of your social media accounts, like Instagram.

    You can also show your support for the kids of St. Jude by shopping for CCAM gold items in our gift shop.

  3. You can find Childhood Cancer Awareness T-shirts and other items  that show your support for the kids of St. Jude by shopping for CCAM gold items in our gift shop.

  4. September is the awareness month for several kinds of cancer in addition to pediatric cancer. September has been Childhood Cancer Awareness Month since 2010. Other cancer observance months held in September include:  

    • Sickle Cell Awareness Month
    • Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
    • Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
    • Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
    • Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
    • Uterine Cancer Awareness Month
 
 

You may be interested in:

January

  • Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

February

  • National Cancer Prevention Month
  • Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer Awareness Month

March

  • Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
  • Kidney Cancer Awareness Month
  • Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

April

  • Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month
  • Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month
  • Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

May

  • National Cancer Research Month
  • Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
  • Brain Cancer Awareness Month
  • Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

June

  • National Cancer Survivor Month

July

  • Sarcoma and Bone Cancer Awareness Month

September

  • Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
  • Sickle Cell Awareness Month
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
  • Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
  • Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
  • Uterine Cancer Awareness Month

October

  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month

November

  • Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month
  • Gastric Cancer Awareness Month
  • Lung Cancer Awareness Month
  • Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Picture 11-year-old Misheel, bald from chemotherapy, pulling up a chair on the second-floor inpatient unit. A younger child shouts, “The balloon girl!” 

Suddenly, she’s surrounded by other children. She reaches into her backpack for colorful balloons and inflates and twists them into a bunny, then a unicorn, then a giraffe, then a butterfly. 

St. Jude patient Misheel sits surrounded by all the balloon animals she has created.

“Ever since then, the requests started rolling in,” said Undrakh. 

Undrakh heard stories of children who loved princesses or of kids who wanted a monkey climbing a tree or a teddy bear. There were kids who were missing a favorite pet — could she make a dog for them? 

All these St. Jude parents who just wanted to make their kids smile, and Undrakh’s daughter could do that for them. 

“I don’t know why, but I just like seeing people’s faces happy,” said Misheel.

Picture the same little girl in a hospital room at St. Jude hooked to a chemotherapy line, saying to Undrakh, “Don’t you worry, Mom. I’m OK.” 

Misheel never complained, said Undrakh, not even on the “really hard days, especially with the lumbar puncture when she couldn’t even move.”

Undrakh worried she minimized her pain, so she sometimes begged Misheel, “What do you feel? I’m here for you to listen to you,” and only then would Misheel admit to her mom, “It’s hurting.”

“Those days were hard,” said Undrakh, “but she tries to find a way to make it better. She’s like, ‘It’s OK because you’re trying to help me.’ That’s who she is. She just wants to show the brighter side of everything and just wants to be happy.”

Misheel was 11 years old in the summer of 2023 when her parents noticed no matter how much water she drank, she still felt thirsty. At first, they thought it was a healthy habit, far preferable to drinking juice or soda. But her thirst was never quenched. Misheel began excusing herself to go to the restroom so frequently they knew something must be wrong. 

Undrakh took Misheel to the family doctor near their home in Illinois. Tests revealed a tumor on Misheel’s pituitary gland, as well as two other spots in her brain. She was diagnosed with a type of cancer called mixed germ cell tumors. 

Soon, her parents obtained a referral to St. Jude

Through chemotherapy and radiation, Misheel often paused to thank the doctors and nurses and other St. Jude staff. 

She particularly bonded with the valet personnel who, she told her mom, had the hardest job of all, working outside in whatever kind of weather and always staying so pleasant and kind to the families. How could she feel bad when there were so many wonderful people helping?

So, she made balloon creations for the St. Jude staff, too, and would say to them, “There’s a lot of different colors because you all added color to my life by healing me.”

St. Jude patient Misheel in the middle of her parents being kissed on each side of her cheek.

Her balloons often came with these sorts of pep talks — the right words at the right time. Like when she saw a man crying in the hallway at St. Jude with his family, and she went to comfort him.

“It’s going to be OK,” said Misheel. “Do you want me to make you something to feel better?”

He told her yes.

It was only later that Undrakh learned that the man had been grieving back-to-back tragedy: His father had died one day, and the next day, his preschool-aged child had been diagnosed with cancer. Now, here they were at St. Jude.

“You need to be strong for your child,” said Misheel. “Your child is strong, but he or she is even stronger with you, so be strong.” 

With that, Misheel handed him a Ninja Turtle.

Now picture Misheel listening intently to the older man sitting next to her at St. Jude, watching the 82-year-old closely as he shows her how to create the first four balloons she will ever make: a flower, a sword, and two types of dogs.

This is Robert Dunn, her godfather. On the circus stage, his name is Robert “Onionhead the Clown” Dunn, although today he’s not performing.

Misheel knows Dunn through UniversalSoul Circus, where her father, Gantulkhurr, is part of an acrobatic teeterboard troupe from Mongolia called The Nomads. 

When Misheel and her family moved to the U.S. from Mongolia in 2019 for her father’s job, she didn’t speak English. It was a whole new language and culture. But a circus is a traveling family of sorts, and Dunn, who values education, often purchased books for the children of the performers and encouraged them to read. 

“My daughter is the one who finishes the book and talks to him about the book, and she would always have a conversation with him,” said Undrakh.  

Dunn and Misheel’s family live hundreds of miles from each other, and Misheel and Dunn are separated in age by several decades, but that didn’t matter. She’d finish a book, and he’d send her another one.

“They talk on the phone about them. They play chess on the phone as well,” said Undrakh. “They’re like same-age people.”

Dunn nicknamed Misheel “Da Professor.” 

“I gave her a book of about 90 quotes, and she would read the quote, Google it, then read the biography, then she’d print the biography out and put it in the back of the book,” said Dunn. “So, she’s very good at learning.”

When Misheel was diagnosed with cancer, “It tore me up,” said Dunn. “It hurt me so much.”

So, he visited her family at St. Jude soon after she started treatment. 

To help cheer her up, he taught her how to make a few balloon creations, knowing it might spark something.

“She took it from there and ran with it,” said Dunn. “She’s better than me at making animal balloons now.” 

Misheel had come to the U.S., a strange and unfamiliar place, and Dunn showed her family friendship.

Misheel pays his kindness forward every day — or every time she reaches into her backpack for another balloon.  

When Vanessa was receiving treatment for leukemia at St. Jude her father, Eliseo, made sure some of her favorite Mexican foods were always on hand. 

It was his way of supporting his daughter during the tough times of chemotherapy and other treatments. Vanessa also enjoys assisting her father in the kitchen, where they prepare Mexican dishes as a tribute to their cultural heritage. Her favorite dish: Mexican green spaghetti with shrimp.

St. Jude patient Vanessa flexes her arm muscles.

In 2020, her father and mother, Josefa, took Vanessa to the doctor several times because of the dark spots on her skin.

“She was not feeling like herself,” Josefa said.

A bruise under her chin led them to take Vanessa to a different doctor who ran more tests. Following the results of these tests, Vanessa was diagnosed that November with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood. and bone marrow. Approximately 500 patients are diagnosed with AML in the United States annually. The disease causes the bone marrow to produce too many improperly functioning white blood cells called blasts, leaving the patient without enough healthy white blood cells to fight infections.

Vanessa was referred to St. Jude where she received chemotherapy. She was placed on the protocol for AML 16, a clinical trial which involved epigenetic priming for chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy is the main treatment for AML, and most patients undergo two phases of chemotherapy over a period of approximately six months. The goal of AML 16 was to prepare the DNA of the AML genes to be more sensitive to chemotherapy. St. Jude leads more clinical trials for childhood cancer than any other hospital in the United States to find the most precise and effective treatments for childhood cancers.

Vanessa finished treatment in June 2021 and returns for check-ups. 

St. Jude patient Vanessa wears a St. Jude hat and T-shirt,

“Before this experience, I had seen the St. Jude campus, but you can never truly comprehend the battle being waged against cancer within those walls. The effort to save a child’s life is truly remarkable,” Eliseo said.

Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

Vanessa was baptized in June 2023. She finds joy in attending church, studying the Bible and participating in camps alongside other children in her congregation.

Currently in fifth grade, Vanessa has already expressed her aspiration to pursue a career in the healthcare field. Her dream is to work at St. Jude, a place that has left a lasting impact on her life. 

Close