No family should ever have to choose between putting food in the table, sending a child to school or seeking treatment for a child with cancer. Unfortunately, because of the catastrophic costs of childhood cancer treatment and medicines, these are the difficult choices families of children with cancer often have to make in LMICs. In developed countries, families of children with cancer, who are underinsured or have no insurance also face this same burden.
As one parent lamented,
Childhood cancer is NOT something that is given to kids because they are strong enough to handle it. Childhood cancer is NOT just happy kids with sweet shiny bald heads and brave smiles. Childhood cancer is scary. Childhood cancer is dark. Childhood cancer steals our childrens childhood; our families joy and peace. It can ruin families and lives. It marks us for life. It is probably one of the most stressful, heart wrenching things in the world.