Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. Every 2 minutes, a parent hears their child has cancer. Childhood cancer is the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. 12% of kids diagnosed with cancer do not survive. Unfortunately, Campbell Grady Dale, the son of David and Jill Dale, was one of them. On February 12, 2014, Campbell entered Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at UMMC. He would later be diagnosed with Stage IV Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue. He went through 54 weeks of rigorous and harmful chemotherapy and 24 straight days of abdominal radiation. At his final scans April 1, 2015, a new growth was located near the original tumor site. This new tumor was removed and he began another protocol of harsh chemotherapy. At his 6 week scans, it was discovered his cancer had spread to 4 new places and the just removed site. Through the helpful work of many doctors, he was able to get into a trial at St. Jude immediately and began this new trial at the end of July 2015. On August 17, 2015, Campbell's parents were told the terrible news that his cancer had spread even more and there was not much else that could be done to save his young life. They sorrowfully returned home to Jackson and that day will always be known as the day of the rainbows because they saw 4 on their flight home from Memphis. David and Jill knew this was a sign from God that it was time to take Campbell home and let him live out his life to the fullest in the time he had left. In those 5 weeks, Campbell was a Bulldog for a day in Starkville (he loved MSU and they loved him right back), he was celebrated at his Make a Wish Reveal Party, and he got to spend a week at Disney World…a dream for him with no doctors, no nurses and no shots. He left this world at 5 years old on Friday, September 18, 2015.
"As a parent, the worst news you can ever receive is that your child has cancer. Or so we thought," says mom Jill. "When we were told there was nothing more that could be done to save his life, that became the worst news," she continues. "It is our mission and now our passion to bring awareness to the fight our littlest heroes are fighting every day. No child should have to fight for their life because of a beast named cancer and no child should lose their life to that same beast." The National Cancer Institute designates less than 4% of their budget to Pediatric Cancer Research. "In the past 20 years, only 3 new drugs have been approved by the FDA to fight Pediatric Cancer…only 3! The 3rd drug was approved in 2015. Our kids deserve more than 4% and more than 3 drugs every 20 years. We hope to be a part of the movement to change those numbers," says Jill.
Worldwide, September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Gold is the color for Childhood Cancer. Many buildings, businesses and sports teams “Go Gold” throughout the month. In 2016, David and Jill created the Campbell Bulldog Fund for Childhood Cancer Awareness and Research at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson to raise awareness throughout Mississippi. We are working with the Children’s Cancer Clinic at Batson Hospital for Children to bring awareness to the people of Mississippi about a subject that is hard to fathom, much less talk about which is children fighting for their lives and some even losing their life. Because of the combined efforts of several metro-area schools, sponsor Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, and the generous people of Mississippi, David and Jill were able to present a check from the Campbell Bulldog Fund at the CFGJ for $30,000 to the Children’s Cancer Clinic at Batson Children’s Hospital designated for research for childhood cancer.
To learn more about the Going Gold For MS Kids campaign, click here. Inspiration Mississippi hopes you will Go Gold during the month of September to honor the youngest heroes fighting the biggest battle.
"As a parent, the worst news you can ever receive is that your child has cancer. Or so we thought," says mom Jill. "When we were told there was nothing more that could be done to save his life, that became the worst news," she continues. "It is our mission and now our passion to bring awareness to the fight our littlest heroes are fighting every day. No child should have to fight for their life because of a beast named cancer and no child should lose their life to that same beast." The National Cancer Institute designates less than 4% of their budget to Pediatric Cancer Research. "In the past 20 years, only 3 new drugs have been approved by the FDA to fight Pediatric Cancer…only 3! The 3rd drug was approved in 2015. Our kids deserve more than 4% and more than 3 drugs every 20 years. We hope to be a part of the movement to change those numbers," says Jill.
Worldwide, September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Gold is the color for Childhood Cancer. Many buildings, businesses and sports teams “Go Gold” throughout the month. In 2016, David and Jill created the Campbell Bulldog Fund for Childhood Cancer Awareness and Research at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson to raise awareness throughout Mississippi. We are working with the Children’s Cancer Clinic at Batson Hospital for Children to bring awareness to the people of Mississippi about a subject that is hard to fathom, much less talk about which is children fighting for their lives and some even losing their life. Because of the combined efforts of several metro-area schools, sponsor Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, and the generous people of Mississippi, David and Jill were able to present a check from the Campbell Bulldog Fund at the CFGJ for $30,000 to the Children’s Cancer Clinic at Batson Children’s Hospital designated for research for childhood cancer.
To learn more about the Going Gold For MS Kids campaign, click here. Inspiration Mississippi hopes you will Go Gold during the month of September to honor the youngest heroes fighting the biggest battle.
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