SPOKANE, WA— “You just don’t know. That’s why you can’t take any moment for granted,” Sarah Graczyk, mom to 9-year-old cancer survivor Jade.
Before the age of ten, Jade was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer. Sarah recalls the overwhelming whirlwind of doctors and nurses in the days that followed.
“Just people in and out of your room wanting something from your child, and you can’t protect them from that,” she explained.
Then Denise, a representative from the Childhood Cancer Coalition, walked in. “She didn’t want anything from Jade; she just wanted to be there for her,” Sarah said.
The Childhood Cancer Coalition connects with families impacted by childhood cancer in the Inland Northwest.
“Some things that people don’t realize about childhood cancer is that it’s not rare. We have 170 kids locally,” said Leslie Woodfill, executive director of the coalition.
One of the organization’s major goals is to increase emergency funds for families struggling with medical bills. They help cover expenses ranging from utility bills to car payments.