Cancer is never an easy experience for the patient and those around them. It’s physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially draining. What’s more heartbreaking is that even young children aren’t safe from severe disease. It’s saddening to witness them spend their youth in a hospital instead of having a normal childhood. They don’t get to experience playing in the park, making friends, attending school, and celebrating themed birthdays. For this reason, parents are willing to quicken the process despite the expensive cost of treatments.

Photo: Unsplash/National Cancer Institute

Thankfully, charity groups and nonprofit organizations offer financial support to families. They know the struggle of finding money for medications to provide consistent treatment for children. A lot of families have become recipients of their kindness, which has played a huge role in the child’s successful recovery. Their mission is truly inspiring, and seeing the results can motivate you to get involved. Many young cancer patients have rung the bell because of their financial assistance. One of them is Edith Storage, and she recently rang the bell after getting diagnosed with leukemia in 2020. The little girl was only seven years old, and she was already going through a heavy challenge. Her family was her greatest source of support as she fought acute lymphoblastic leukemia with chemotherapy.

Photo: Twitter/Patrick Karl Thomas

Recently, little Edith finished her chemotherapy at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill. For the first nine months, the family made weekly and biweekly visits for treatments. It was indeed a tough time for them, especially when Shanna and Michael Storage also had two other children, Wyatt and Avery. They needed to be present for all of them — showing a strong façade despite the exhaustion brought on by their hectic schedule. “You have to again stay positive and just, you are not only a mother with one child going through something huge. You are a mother to two others,” Shanna Storage said.

All that hard work and patience was worth it, as Edith is now in remission. Aside from her parents' efforts, she was chosen as a recipient of an organization’s generosity. A social worker from UNC Children’s Hospital reached out to Children’s Cancer Partners of The Carolinas. The nonprofit organization has reduced the worries of parents regarding their expenses. They offer support during treatments and assist the family until the child turns 21 years old. CCP covers finances for transportation, meals, and accommodation. Furthermore, their assistance covers home-care needs, pitches in for financial emergencies, and aids in final arrangements in the event of a death.

Photo: Twitter/Patrick Karl Thomas

“You have no idea - just you calling us once a month to check in, it just meant so much because it was someone outside of our family. Someone outside of what we were going through, and her calling just made it so much better,” Mrs. Storage shared. The family was so relieved to have people supporting them every step of the way. The Storage family was so touched by the gesture that they decided to pay it forward. With the help of a family friend from Surety Systems, Michael and Shanna started their mission to offer financial support to families with kids battling cancer.

#Worthyourtime This is the video from earlier this year of Edith Storage ringing the bell for the end of her chemotherapy treatments. The child was diagnosed with Leukemia in October 2020. Today she is in remission. The good news starts there.@SpecNews1RDU
Credit: Shanna Storage pic.twitter.com/wYQvNIGNnh

— Patrick Karl Thomas (@PatThomasNews) April 25, 2023

“That’s when I approached the family and asked them what organizations helped you, because until you are in their shoes, it’s not much you really know much about,” says Steve Logue, a family friend from Surety Systems. The family chose an organization that will receive up to $5,000, and, of course, it was CCP. Their fundraising mission started through a LinkedIn post that indicated their mission and vision. Edith’s story became the inspiration for the heartwarming cause. Her family is willing to share hope with other parents struggling to fight for their children’s life against cancer.

May their mission reach lots of kids craving a normal childhood.Visit the LinkedIn post or CCP to learn more. Hopefully, more children will ring the bell to announce that cancer has failed in stealing their precious and colorful childhoods.