We Invite You to Join in the Fight

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
CURE's Kids Conquer Cancer
One Day at a Time

In our last post, we shared with you the great and not so great things going on in our lives.

Those not so great things:

• trying to meet the demands of school work and homework
• nightly trying to keep up with multiple classes and multiple assignments
• not knowing how to best help our girls learn, retain and process information
• feeling overwhelmed because our girls feel that way
• feeling helpless because our girls feel that way
• the harsh reality that every school year, every transition, every assignment, every test, will be hard for our girls

Watching our girls' struggle daily because of the harm their brains suffered is our reality - that is our life. The very procedures that saved their lives, Liv's brain surgery and Elena's chemo and radiation, hurt them. We grow tired of these not so great things. 

It is hard.

It hurts. 

It also fuels us to fight. 

We fight for the girls to receive the best education possible.

We fight to learn more about their disabilities.

We fight to help fund research that will lead to better treatments and cures for pediatric cancers. 

Because you know us, you are already fully aware of the statistics. 

In the next 12 months, 12,700 children will be diagnosed with cancer.

80% will survive - 20% will die

Cancer is the #1 cause of death by disease of children.

Today, 46 families were told, "Your child has cancer."

Today, 7 children took their last breath.

3 out of 5 children suffer from long-term side effects from cancer.

That is Elena and Liv's reality.

For the fifth year in a row, we have been asked by CURE to share our story. It is an honor to join such an amazing organization in raising money to fund research that will lead to better treatments and cures for pediatric cancers.  In the years since our girls' diagnosis' , there has been little improvement. One of the factors for this is the severe lack of awareness of childhood cancer and the severe lack of funding.

Only 3% of federal funding for cancer research is focused on childhood cancers.

Childhood cancer is not one disease. 

There are more than 25 different types, each requiring their own research. 

Childhood cancer is not the same as adult cancer. 

Separate research and treatments are required. 

This year, CURE is funding $2.5 million in research spanning 13 major studies.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and beyond, CURE Childhood Cancer is committed to educating people about childhood cancer and empowering them to fight back. So how does childhood cancer become a priority cause in this country?  The journey begins with each of us.  We need your help to raise more funds and more awareness.

This year, CURE Childhood Cancer will honor Elena and Liv on September 16th.

You can find them on CURE's web site www.curechildhoodcancer.org

blog http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/news-resources/blog

and here http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/elenaandoliviatate/2013-cures-kids-conquer-cancer-one-day-at-a-time

As we have in the past, our goal is to raise as much money as we can to help fund research that will lead to better treatments and cures for pediatric cancers. Childhood cancer is severely underfunded and will never make the progress it needs to without money for research.

We hope you will help and share our story with your friends and family and ask them to join you in donating in honor of our girls, their fight, their perseverance, and their grace.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us, care for us, and encourage us.

In Him,

The Tates

"For I know the plans I have for you." declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11