Keeghan Barry

I first posted about Keeghan Barry in January. I had been surfing blogs and found this amazing little boy... young man, really, who not only had an awesome name but was brave cancer warrior as well.

I kept up with them off and on over the last several months... I admit there were times when my life got so busy it took me awhile to check back with his mom, Shannon, to see how things were going. I am so sorry for that.

Today I got an email from a friend letting me know that Keeghan is gone... He passed away a few days ago. Cancer claims another life... leaves another family trying to figure out how to go on... and I sit here numb. So many kids.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Keeghan was looking forward to walking for Light the Night in memory of friends that have gone on before him. Now people will be walking in his memory. It's just NOT fair. Cancer sucks.

Did you know?
*Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

*On the average 12,500 children and teens will be diagnosed with some form of cancer each year in this country.

*One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

*Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

*Cancer remains the #1 disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.

*In the U.S. almost 3,000 children do not survive cancer each year.

*Over the past two decades, only ONE new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.

*Currently there are between 30-40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment in the U.S.

*As a nation, we spend over $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on Childhood Cancer Research each year.

*There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximiately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each victim of childhood cancer.

*Research funds are scarce as most money is diverted to well-publicized adult forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate.

*Right now, this second, somewhere in America, there are 7 children fighting for their lives who won't live through the day.

Cancer sucks.