September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and one Bay Area family is hoping to make a difference in the lives of young patients.
In 2019, Enzo Keller, now 8, was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Fortunately, he was able to get treatment, and now his cancer is in remission.
Because of their experience, Enzo's parents, Krista and Danny Keller, started the Enzo and Me Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
Its goal is to fund child cancer research to find better treatments and cures for kids.
According to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, 43 kids are diagnosed with cancer every day. It is the number one cause of death by disease among children, yet only 4% of government-funded cancer research is directed towards treating childhood cancer.
The Kellers told NBC Bay Area how hard the experience was.
"This is probably for most parents one of their worst nightmares. So let's come together and try to eliminate that from the reality," Krista Keller said. "Annually, about 11.5 million years of life are lost to pediatric cancer."
Danny Keller added: "Future doctors, future researchers, future teachers, all the things that affect our future are impacted."
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Last year, the foundation raised more than $300,000. Its next event is scheduled for Sept. 23 in San Ramon.
For more information, visit the Enzo and Me Pediatric Cancer Foundation website.
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