Packing up for the DC trip. I picked a photo for David’s coming visit of Capitol Hill and White House. The photo of my two boys when David was 3. I was unwrapping all the memories, fighting back the tears.

David is ready to share with the Congress the vague memory of his brother, the frequent flights in and out of town, and his parents’ sufferings that had to be endured.

He is ready to ask our legislators if FDA is only authorized to require pediatric cancer trials of one drug, how would children with relapsed cancer ever survive?

He is puzzled why adults with cancer can participate a clinical trial of two or even three drugs combination, but kids cannot?

The #givekidsachanceact, a bill that aims to encourage clinical trials that use combinations of drugs for kids with cancer, was first introduced in 2021. Three years passed; we are still fighting for it to pass.

Scientists say that combinations of medicines are needed to cure childhood cancers, since these diseases can quickly become resistant to single medications.

So why couldn’t we get it pass year after year?

Are we blind to kids’ suffering?

Most of people do not know is the extent of the war that cancer waged on our children’s little bodies. Only their parents really know the true hell that a child suffers. Childhood cancer steals our children the ability to talk, walk, smile, move, breath and survive.

Tomorrow is Moon Festival, a holiday in my culture to celebrate family reunion. The fullness of the moon reflects reunion on earth. Tonight I gazed at the moon, sending love and affection through the moon to the beloved child.

An ancient Chinese poem said,

“Men have sorrow and joy; they part or meet again;

The moon is bright or dim and she may wax or wane.”

Yet, the Moon Festival is an isolating season of mourning, the poignant reminder of the absence of the child.

Our journey in pursuit of a cure continued, but we couldn’t do this without you.

Children get cancer too. You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say you did not know.

Happy Moon Festival. Praying for comfort and peace. Praying for less brokenness on the earth.

Kathy at Moon Festival 2024