I recently recieved an email from the mother of the two beautiful girls pictured here.
She told me that Headbands of Hope provided a way for her to talk to her two girls about cancer and explain to them that they're helping two girls with cancer by wearing these headbands.
This story warmed my heart so much not only because their purchase helped girls with cancer, but it allowed a mother to explain a very difficult topic to her kids.
Depending on your child's age, you can explain that cancer is actually the general name for many different diseases in which cells that are not normal divide more rapidly than usual. These abnormal, quickly growing cells often develop into a tumor. Cancer can also spread to other parts of the body, but it is not contagious.
Talk with them about the causes of cancer. You might start by asking how they think cancer gets started. You might mention some of the known behaviors that seem to increase a person's chances for getting cancer, such as smoking or spending lots of time in the sun. You can also point out that we don't know all the causes of cancer, but experts are studying this question and coming up with more answers all the time.
Keep up the great work and always send in your stories! You never know who could be in the next blog :)
Much love,
Jessica