September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and many children of the Blue Family have lost their lives to the deadliest pediatric brain cancer.
The Cure Starts Now, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer, has launched the online Operation Gold Shield campaign to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer. The organization says within the last two years, four children of law enforcement officers under of the age of 10 have died from the deadliest pediatric brain cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which has a zero percent chance of survival.
Vicky Bridier, Chapter Director of the Cure Starts Now Central Texas started the campaign after losing her 4-year-old daughter, Jade to DIPG in 2016.
"My daughter lost her life within five days of diagnosis to brain cancer two years ago and because my husband is a state trooper, we've had the outpouring love of law enforcement behind us since day one of her diagnosis until this day as we continue to do events," said Bridier.
The online campaign calls on all spouses and significant others of law enforcement officers nationwide to join forces and help raise money during the month of September. Each participant has a goal of $1,000 to raise for the entire month of September. The goal is raise $500,000 for childhood cancer.
"In every single state, there has to be a law enforcement family or every family that has been effected by cancer of any sort," said Bridier. "Our mission at The Cure Starts Now is to find a homerun cure for cancer starting with the deadliest pediatric brain cancer."
Childhood cancer receives less than 4 percent of the Federal Funding and about 13,000 children are diagnosed, impacted or died from cancer annually. Bridier says that to cure most cancers, they would need to start at finding a cure for the most aggressive cancer.
"Medical experts believe that if we find a cure for that, we're going to find a homerun cure for most cancers," said Bridier. "This involves colon, breast, prostate and adult cancer."
After losing her daughter to the deadly disease, Brider says her promise to her daughter is to continue to fight to find a cure.
"Once we give up hope as parents, we give up our last promise to our children, and we give up this fight against cancer," said Bridier.
The campaign is currently running in five states with six different law enforcement organizations and 35 teams. To join the Operation Gold Shield campaign, go to The Cure Starts Now and register your team.