Max Cure Introduces the Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative

Each September our community calls upon the world to honor the children and families who have struggled against and battled pediatric cancer. As the Max Cure Foundation marks the beginning of this memorial month, we are highlighting our focus on reducing the 43 parents per day who hear the reality-shattering diagnosis, that “your child has cancer.” Max Cure Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative in the hopes that future Septembers bear the better news of fewer diagnoses. 

Why the need to focus on prevention? Since 1975, rates of new cases of cancer in young people under the age of 20 have increased by approximately 33%. Most childhood cancers are non-hereditary, which implies potential causation by interactions with harmful environmental factors or carcinogens. Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances that can make harmful alterations at a cellular level.

Why is this initiative groundbreaking? The United States does very little to regulate chemicals until they are proven to be harmful (sometimes called the “Wait and See” approach). Due to our insufficient chemical policies, children are at a higher risk of coming in contact with such chemicals in their everyday lives that could increase their vulnerability to getting a cancer diagnosis. Only 22% of childhood cancer funding focuses on childhood cancer prevention. The study of and actions being taken to prevent childhood cancer are dwarfed by the scale of our initiative. After all, as our executive director, Jonathan Agin states, “No one is ever going to thank you for the disease they did not get.” 

Your support is needed and can be engaged with the Business and Business Leaders Education and Engagement group by supporting three amazing sponsors who have generously agreed to donate proceeds back to Max Cure while selling their natural and carcinogenic-free goods. These sponsors include Naturepedic, the maker of organic bedding and mattresses; Earthkind, which offers poison free pest control; and Laurinex, which is a safe all-purpose cleaner. It is Max Cure’s hope as the Initiative begins to persuade companies to switch to safer chemicals and that we can showcase good corporate stewards of the safe and toxic-free environment we seek that will help keep our kids safe from cancer. We wish to partner with businesses that can offer these safer alternatives for families of all economic backgrounds. 

This article was drafted and designed by Max Cure Foundation Junior Board Members Julia Bergman, Ritisha Sharma and Rebecca Douglas.