Buy a Cookie and Help Fight Childhood Cancer

Were you aware that every single day, 43 children in America are diagnosed with cancer? This is a devastating statistic and as the mother of three boys is heartbreaking to me. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Kneaders Bakery & Café has partnered with Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) in a campaign to combat childhood cancer.

Dr. Joshua Schiffman, M.D., with HCI and the University of Utah, is conducting groundbreaking research into elephant DNA which may unlock the cure to childhood cancer. Elephants virtually never get cancer because they have 40 copies of a gene that prevents tumors. Humans only have two.

Photo Credit: Kneaders.com

Throughout September all Kneaders locations (there are 16 in Arizona) will sell elephant shaped sugar cookies with 100% of the sales going toward Schiffman’s research. At present, the National Cancer Institute spends 96% of their research funds on adult cancers, so this funding is desperately needed.

“Our grandson was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 13. Raising awareness to the increased need for pediatric cancer funding hits extremely close to home,” said Colleen Worthington, founder of Kneaders. “We believe it’s important to kick-start a conversation around this gap and are proud to do so with the support of HCI and Dr. Schiffman.”

Dr. Joshua Schiffman’s Childhood Cancer Research

Schiffman’s research has shown that elephants have 100 times the number of cells as humans, This means they should be 100 times more likely to have a cell slip into a cancerous state and trigger the disease over their 50-70 year lifespan. Schiffman feels that the secret may lie in the number of tumor suppressor genes, TP53, found in elephant DNA. Elephants have 40 copies of this gene while humans only have two. Schiffman and his team are working to transfer what they have discovered with elephants to humans, with the hope to ultimately prevent childhood cancers.

“I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a child,” said Dr. Schiffman. “I know not only what it’s like to be a child facing something that doesn’t seem fair or right, but also the worry and angst of a parent given my current role as a doctor. This campaign may seem like a small gesture, but it’s a step forward to the thousands of families each year who are informed their child may have cancer.”

How Can I Help?

All you need to do is head to any local Kneaders location and buy their elephant shaped sugar cookie for $2.99 and all of that money goes to Schiffman’s research.

If you are inclined to help more, you can make a donation by rounding up your in-store purchase to the nearest dollar and the excess will go to research.

You can also give an online donation on the Kneaders website.

The hope is that this partnership can raise more than $50,000 throughout the month of September. It all begins with one cookie!

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© Taryn Jeffries 2016