Childhood Cancer Awareness

Photo By Seaman Imani Daniels | PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Sep. 16, 2020) – September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the thousands of children and their families who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, raise awareness about the reality of childhood cancer, and emphasize the importance of research. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) recently celebrated a bell- ringing ceremony for a patient of the Pediatric Oncology Department, Sep. 16. (U.S. Navy Photo by Seaman Imani N. Daniels/Released)  

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

09.24.2020

Story by Seaman Imani Daniels 

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

NMCP Marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with Bell Ringing Ceremony
By Seaman Imani Daniels, NMCP Public Affairs
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Sep. 16, 2020) Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) recently celebrated a bell- ringing ceremony for a patient of the Pediatric Oncology Department, Sep. 16.
Theodore “Teddy” Payne, 4-year-old Pediatric Oncology patient, celebrated the end of his cancer treatment by ringing a bell with his parents by his side. The ringing of a bell is a tradition that's been adopted by children's cancer centers around the country to mark the end of the chemotherapy journey and hopefully a child's discharge from the hospital.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge the thousands of children and their families who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis, raise awareness about the reality of childhood cancer, and emphasize the importance of research.
“Combining research between hospitals has significant advancements in pediatric oncology and survival,” said Lt. Colonel Bethany Mikles, Pediatric Oncology Division Head and principle investigator for the Children’s Oncology Group at NMCP. “We have seen overall survivability for all childhood cancers surpass 80 percent. There is still a long way to go.”
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children from birth to age 15. Each year, more than 16,000 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed. Pediatric cancer kills more children than any other disease in the United States. Even so, treatment outcomes for children with cancer have made tremendous improvements over the past decades.
“Right now, we have been able to significantly increase the survival of pediatric cancers over the past 50 years because of the trials the medical centers are participating in,” Mikles said. “The children’s oncology group is a consortium of over 200 hospitals across North America as well as some European nations. Many of the hospitals enroll patients because they want to see improvements and outcomes for childhood cancer.”
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, parents are faced with many practical and emotional challenges that can significantly affect them.
“Today we are ringing the bell, which would mean the end of his chemotherapy,” said Lt. Cmdr. Maya Payne, Teddy’s mother. “It’s an amazing feeling and a long time coming. It is scary because this is something we’ve been looking forward to; it’s an exciting scary feeling.”
As the U.S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area's 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.

• Date Taken: 09.24.2020
• Date Posted: 09.24.2020 08:32
• Story ID: 378545
• Location: PORTSMOUTH, VA, US