Belleville is going Gold in September, all in support of the fight against childhood cancer.
Evelyn Wilson of Tears Mean Love told city council this week that cancer is still the number one disease killing children today.
One in five Canadian children diagnosed with cancer do not survive.
Wilson says five new child cancer cases were diagnosed locally in the last 10 days.
Tears Mean Love raised $12,000 last year, helping these families.
This is a cause close to home for Wilson.
She noted that families of children with cancer incur an average of more than $28,000 in costs in the first three months following a child’s diagnosis.
Belleville children with cancer are treated in Kingston, Toronto, or Ottawa because the oncology unit at Belleville General Hospital doesn’t treat children.
Wilson pointed out that in the past 45 years only three new drugs have been developed for the treatment of childhood cancers.
“That means the same treatment my brother had for leukemia 30 years ago is being used today. The same treatment Terry Fox got for his cancer was given to my daughter, and is being given to patients today.”
Mayor Mitch Panciuk has proclaimed September Child Cancer Awareness Month, saying we will “paint the town gold.”
There will be gold lights on the Bridge Street bridge, the Belleville sign will be gold, and there will be yellow ribbons throughout the city.
