Dedicated to Those Who Are Missing Someone Today

Christmas is not a happy time for everyone – there are many individuals for whom the Festive Season is very painful as it is the time that they miss those who are gone the most.

For parents who have lost a child, whether to cancer or anything else, this is a really, really, difficult time of the year because Christmas is about the children, after all…

Today we would like to take a moment to send out some love to all parents who have lost a child/children.

While the first Christmas is particularly poignant, each Christmas without your child will bring its own challenges, and each parent has to grieve in his or her own way.

There is not much that anyone can say that will take away your pain, but we here at the Little Fighters Cancer Trust would just like to let you know that we are holding you close in our hearts today and are sending you as much Love & Peace as your heart can hold.

 

✫ Sending you Angel Blessings ✫
( `\( ). .•°*”˜ ☆¸.•´¯`•.☆..✫ (⁀‵⁀,)
..` /♪\_/¯…………`•.¸¸. . . . . . .✫ ⋎´
.(_/’/……………………`•.¸☆`•.✫
…\ \ …
…./ /… ✫ Sprinkling Love, Light & Healing ✫
….\/ …. ✫ Peace, Love & Harmony Your Way ✫

 

Wishing You A Joyous Festive Season

The Little Fighters Cancer Trust would like to thank every one of our Donors, Supporters, Ambassadors, Volunteers & Staff for everything that YOU have done to make the lives of our Little Fighters and their Families just that bit easier throughout 2018.

This has been a very difficult year for most people, but thanks to you all, LFCT managed to still take care of the most vulnerable children and their families with advice, information, love and practical assistance.

We did various outreaches to our Little Fighters in hospital as well as at home, and apart from the thousands of presents, clothes, blankest and snack-packs,  we also managed to send every one of our registered families a Family Care Package every month so that they at least had all the basics plus some toys for all the kids in the family.

We also had a lovely Christmas Party (sponsored by the Lions, Paarl) for our local Little Fighters and their Families and every Little Fighter plus each of their siblings – Nationally – were sent a lovely Christmas present together with the Family Festive Season Care Package.

Thanks to your donations and thanks to #KargoInternational, there will be Joy and Feasting in all our Registered Little Fighter Families this Festive Season.

AR App Helping Child Cancer Patients Cope with Anxiety

The Paediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s app is bringing imaginary friends to life in hospitals and cancer treatment centers.

A three-eared rabbit stands on Bridgette Czarnecki’s hospital bed. He playfully wiggles his ear and adjusts his yellow bow tie.

“You’re stronger than you know,” he tells the 8-year-old. “I wish I was that strong.”

A flying pink-haired cow swoops in, pirouetting in the air. “Believe in yourself,” she says in a gentle voice. “I sure do.”

Nearby a friendly green monster smiles and waves. “Never give up, kid. Never give up.”

They’re all part of the Imaginary Friend Society, and they are exactly as billed: a figment of the imagination. For Czarnecki, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2017, they were a welcome distraction from the stress and anxiety of MRIs and chemotherapy while she was treated at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles through February.

Czarnecki summoned the characters from a touchscreen above her hospital bed and the Imaginary Friend Society app developed by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The app uses augmented reality, which overlays digital images on top of what you’re seeing in the real world.

“It makes me feel happy,” Czarnecki tells me.

What is the Expected Life Span of Childhood Brain Tumour Cancer?

“What is my child’s prognosis?” This seemingly simple but critical question is often among the first that parents will ask their child’s oncologist after hearing that their child has been diagnosed with cancer.

Yet, while the question may be simple, answering it can be extremely complicated. In general terms, oncologists can provide statistics relating to 5-year survival rates for many different types of brain tumours in children.

These general statistics, however, cannot predict an outcome for any one child. Each child’s individual prognosis will depend on the unique circumstances of their tumor and its response to treatment.

New Service Transforms Childhood Cancer Treatment

 

Professor Gareth Veal. Credit: Newcastle University

Children with cancer in the UK are to benefit nationally from a service which for the first time will allow doctors to personalise their treatment.

The therapeutic drug monitoring service, developed by Newcastle University experts, allows clinicians to obtain vital information about how much chemotherapy individual young patients should receive.

Youngsters diagnosed with cancer, including infants in the first weeks of life, can be particularly hard to treat as it is difficult to know how much chemotherapy to give.

Doctors sometimes have to make tough decisions about the most appropriate dose of a drug, without enough scientific information to help them decide on the best course of action.

Lions/LFCT 2018 🎄Christmas Party🎅

The Little Fighters Cancer Trust would like to give a massive shout-out to the Lions Club of Paarl who sponsored and organised a wonderful Christmas Party for our local Beneficiaries and their Families this past Sunday.

LFCT organised two tour “bussies” to collect our Families and deliver them safely back to their homes again after the party – thanks to our great drivers from Ruiters Tours & Shuttle Services.

LFCT would like to send out a hearty thank you to all the Lions and volunteers who put in all the hard work of organising the party and being there on the day to ensure that everyone had a great time!

Thank You, you really made our beneficiaries and their siblings feel loved and spoiled and gave their parents a few hours of relaxation and enjoyment as well, and that is what it is all about; looking out for the whole family.

Thanks also go out to The Drop Outs Motorcycle Club who came on board with some wonderful presents for our Little Fighters.

 

Honouring Kyle Adams – 👼 Forever 14 👼

It is with overwhelming sadness and aching hearts that today we have to share with you the heartbreaking news that Teen Fighter Kyle Adams earned his Angel Wings last night, 25th November, 2018.

Rest in Peace, Kyle ^Forever 14^

Kyle Adams was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2016 and went through harsh treatment, more than one operation, and had his leg amputated and was eventually fitted with a prosthetic leg.

Kyle fought bravely and won his fight – he was always there with a smile and won the hearts of many of our LFCT Family – he was also an ambassador for LFCT and helped out various times, including helping to deliver Mothers’ Day presents to all the mommies in Tygerberg Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, in 2017.

Can New Cancer Drug Safely Boost Radiation Therapy?

Cancer continues to be one of the top causes of death in many countries, and Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments used in the fight against cancer.

About 60% of cancer patients benefit from radiation, which is used either on its own or together with chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy works by puncturing the DNA inside cancer cells. This stops the cancer cells from growing and multiplying, eventually causing them to die.

Doctors can use radiation to destroy cancer tumours completely or to shrink them in preparation for surgery. This depends on the type of tumour, as some cancers are more sensitive to radiation therapy than others.

What is #GivingTuesday?

Giving Tuesday was created when two organizations, the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation came together in 2012, about a month before that year’s Thanksgiving.

Their intention was to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition.

As a global movement to create an international day of giving at the beginning of the Christmas and Holiday Season, #GivingTuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.

While this is only the seventh annual Giving Tuesday, the movement continues to show exponential growth year over year. In 2017, Giving Tuesday raised more than 300 million dollars in donations – a 69% increase from the previous year.

Can Mushrooms Help Fight Cancer?

Conventional cancer treatments can be devastating to the human body, even more so to a small child’s body that is still growing.

While there are yet no other treatments to fight childhood cancer, especially to those in poorer countries, than the old ones such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, more and more individuals are also using complementary methods.

Not every conventional or complementary method will work for every individual, but it is surely up to us to try whichever method we can to fight this terrible disease – as long as it does no harm, it could do good.

Something that falls under the banner of complementary treatment is mushrooms – more specifically, Reishi mushrooms, aka Ling zhi, Lin zi, and Mushroom of Immortality – which various studies from around the globe have shown to be effective in fighting cancer.