TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation board member Carolyn Alvey, The Heights Baptist Church executive pastor John Wills and TeamConnor founder Joy Cruse at the September 1 kickoff for National Childhood Cancer Awareness month at Watters Creek in Allen. TeamConnor was named after 8-year-old Connor Cruse of Frisco who died in 2009 after a four year battle with cancer.
TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation kicked off National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month September 1 with a prayer vigil and concert at Watters Creek in Allen.
The popular country band Rhythm-n-Roses performed a free concert. Shauna George, an 18-year-old cancer survivor who lives in Little Elm, spoke to the crowd about what it was like to be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16. Shauna was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in April 2010. Ewing's sarcoma is a bone cancer which can occur any time during childhood and young adulthood, but usually develops during puberty when bones are growing rapidly.
“Every year thousands of children are diagnosed with cancer,” said Joy Cruse, founder of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Sadly, there has only been one drug in the last 20 years developed to fight childhood cancer. The cancer treatments used on children were developed for adults. In fact, the cancer that killed my son Connor was a secondary tumor resulting from radiation used to treat his neuroblastoma. We're trying to encourage researchers to develop new treatments specifically for children battling cancer.”
Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer of children, yet the budget of the National Cancer Institute allocates only 3% of its funds to pediatric cancer research. The TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find a cure for all childhood cancers.
TeamConnor will host the Color Me Green 5K & Caterpillar Dash October 6 in The Square in Frisco. People of all speeds, ages, shapes and sizes are encouraged to participate. The event kicks off at 7:30 a.m. with registration and pre-race snacks.
For more information, visit www.teamconnor.org or find TeamConnor Cancer Foundation on Facebook.
Rhythm & Roses perform a free concert
Joy Cruse, founder of TeamConnor, with cancer survivor Shauna George and her parents Tim & Sherre George
