During the past month we've told some difficult stories on the Lifestyle page to bring awareness to childhood cancer. Stories I bet a lot of you may not have wanted to read, and I bet many of you just skipped right over them.

I bet it was a lot easier to turn the page than it was to read about children living and dying with cancer.And I'm sure this was especially true for parents."Did you read our story this week about pediatric cancer?" I asked one of my daughters. "Stacey did an amazing job.""I saw it," she answered, "but I just couldn't read it. I can't."I was disappointed, but I understood.My daughter is the mother of two children: an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old. It's difficult to read about sick children because you can't help but be afraid.But whether or not you read that story, or any of the others we wrote in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, children are being diagnosed with and dying from cancer every day.According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, 15,780 children under the age of 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year in the U.S. Worldwide, that number swells to about 250,000. That means that every three minutes, somewhere in the world, a child is diagnosed with cancer.Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children in the United States (after accidents). According to The American Cancer Society, we will lose 1,250 children under the age of 15 this year.Because of major treatment advances in recent decades, more than 80 percent of children who now have cancer will survive five years or more. But being a survivor comes with a price.Many of the treatments given to children to cure their cancers are the same doses given to adults.You wouldn't pour a 5-year-old a scotch and soda because he had a bad day at kindergarten, would you?A child is not small adult, and in every other situation, wouldn't be treated like one.The amount of chemicals pumped into a young body or the dosage of radiation given to an adolescent brain can cause far-reaching side effects.Two-thirds of children who survive cancer will face at least one chronic health condition. Effects could include heart damage, lung damage, growth deficits, cognitive impairment, infertility and hearing loss. These children are also more likely to be diagnosed later with a secondary cancer.Yes, it's scary, especially for those of us with healthy children and grandchildren. But burying your head in the sand won't make it go away.What will make it go away is research dedicated to pediatric cancer. Research that will enable these cancers to be diagnosed and treated earlier, or better yet, prevented or eradicated.Awareness and education are key. Learn more. Open your mind, your heart, and your wallet if you can, to support research and families affected by pediatric cancer.