This Christmas, we are sharing the story of Natalie, Rick and Kane. Their heart-breaking story reminds us why it is so important to support cancer research every day. Because with cancer research, we can help prevent further heartbreak and loss. If you are able, please donate to our Christmas Appeal today so Cancer Council ACT can continue its commitment to funding life-saving cancer research projects.

It’s a sad fact that despite our best efforts, research shows that 1.45 million Australians will die of cancer over the 25-year period from 2020-2044 without major new investments in prevention, early detection and patient care.

And more than 4.56 million Australians will experience the shock and trauma of a cancer diagnosis over that same period.

If we’re to have any chance of stopping this tragedy, we need to continue our investment in cancer research, now and into the future.

We need to do it for mums like Natalie.

Like most other proud mums, Natalie talks about her son Kane all the time. But unlike other mums, she’s not talking about his latest triumph on the cricket pitch, or what he’s got on his Christmas wish list.

Natalie talks about Kane dying from cancer.

Because of our supporters, we have continued helping people impacted by cancer. But, if cancer researchers are to change the outcome for millions of Australians, we need further support now more than ever.

After losing Kane, Natalie’s deepest desire is to save more parents from the grief she lives with every day.

Kane was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma when he was 12 years old. Tragically, Kane’s cancer was aggressive, and he died two weeks after his 13th birthday.

Natalie and her husband, Rick, don’t have any other children and Kane’s death has changed both of them forever. Their hearts are broken and can never be mended.

But now Natalie is telling Kane’s story to help raise money for life saving cancer research.

That’s why Natalie has one wish this Christmas: that children stop dying of cancer.

Childhood cancers are those that affect children between infancy and 14 years of age. Unlike many adult cancers, there is no connection between lifestyle and childhood cancer. It’s just a cruel twist of fate.

It took a little while for his doctors to positively identify what was wrong with Kane. But when they did, the diagnosis of a particularly rare form of lymphoma—anaplastic large cell lymphoma—was a devastating shock to the whole family, as you can imagine.

Kane was immediately admitted to hospital 300 kilometres from where they lived. A long way from his home, his friends—his normal life as a happy kid.

Natalie told us how confusing the first few days in the hospital were—with so many doctors and nurses asking so many questions and delivering so much information. She said it was quite overwhelming.

But all that mattered was Kane—getting his treatment started and getting him better. Natalie said, “Seeing your child hooked up to chemo the first time is very daunting, but we soon learnt that we just needed to be strong for Kane.”

No child should have to go through scary, painful cancer treatment. And no parent should have to watch it happen.

At first, Kane responded well to the chemotherapy. After three rounds, a PET scan showed that 95% of the cancer had gone from his body. The family was ecstatic.

Sadly, that happiness wasn’t to last.

Soon afterwards, Kane became very unwell again. He was rushed to intensive care and had to have fluid drained from his lungs. The doctors had to tell Natalie the terrible news. Kane’s lymphoma was back—with a vengeance.

One of Kane’s doctors told Natalie that she had never seen a lymphoma so aggressive.

Once again, Kane initially responded well to the new chemotherapy treatment he was given.

Kane turned 13 while he was in hospital, and Natalie organised a birthday celebration for him. Although he made a huge effort to eat his cake and to enjoy the visit with his friends, Natalie could see that Kane was really struggling. He was so unwell, and his strong young body was utterly exhausted.

Within a week, it was clear Kane’s condition had drastically declined. His lymphoma had returned, and fluid had formed around his heart. He was rushed into surgery to drain it.

It was not enough. His cancer was too aggressive. The next day, just two weeks after his 13th birthday, despite every effort by the hospital staff, and all the love his parents had to give, Kane died in Natalie’s arms.

After telling such a heartbreaking story, we want to give hope as well.

Kane’s form of cancer was rare and extremely aggressive.

It’s those cancers that we know the least about, which are most likely to take precious time from mothers, like Natalie, away from their children.

Neuroblastoma occurs most commonly in infants under the age of 2. It is also a very complex cancer, with many types that behave very differently.

But research brings hope. Professor Murray Norris is leading a group of researchers that are studying a new protein, MYCN, which plays an important role in driving the development of neuroblastoma by stopping the normal differentiation of the embryonal stem cells. These amazing researchers were then able to identify that blocking a particular gene, called RUNX1T1, can interrupt MYCN activity and prevent the development of neuroblastoma.

And the great news is that because of these discoveries, Professor Murray Norris and his team have now developed a potential new treatment approach that could slow down and stop the growth of neuroblastoma.

If this research is successful, the project will hopefully lead to a clinical trial for a new, more effective and less toxic treatment for this devastating children’s cancer.

Thanks to our supporters, research is saving lives every single day.

There is no time to lose.

In Australia, childhood cancer kills more children than any other disease. It is estimated that 776 children aged 0-14 years will be diagnosed with cancer this year, with around 88 deaths expected.

That is too many young lives cut short, and too many families torn apart by grief.

But we’ve already made significant progress in bringing those numbers down—thanks to our generous supporters.

Today, more than 86.6% of children will survive for five years or longer. Most children who survive for five-years will have the same long-term prognosis as children who have never had cancer.

All cancers are cruel. But there’s something about childhood cancers that breaks our hearts and sharpens our resolve, in equal measure.

One child dying of cancer in Australia is one child too many. The wish of everybody at Cancer Council ACT, is to bring that number to zero—and keep it there.

We rely on the kindness and commitment of donors to continue our work. Every breakthrough, every life saved, is down to our supporters—who show their compassion in such an amazing way.

For Natalie, generosity is a beacon of hope in a dark time.

She is so proud of her son. Of Kane’s warm heart and love of home—and his bravery throughout his treatment. Her drive to help others is born of who Kane was as a person—and her enduring love for him.

Please donate to the Cancer Council ACT Christmas Appeal today and give the gift of hope.