WHEREAS, each year in the United States, approximately 15,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer, with about 41 new diagnoses each day; and

WHEREAS, roughly one in every 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before their twentieth birthday, with this number continuing to increase annually; and

WHEREAS, more than 495,000 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer are living in the United States today, yet over 40,000 children are currently undergoing active treatment; and

WHEREAS, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, an estimated 359 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year, impacting families in every region of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, globally, childhood cancer affects more than 400,000 children each year, though the true number may be even higher due to underreporting in low-resource settings; and

WHEREAS, childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States, and although advancements in research and treatment have increased the five-year survival rate to 85 percent, more than 1,500 young people ranging from infants to teenagers lose their lives to cancer each year; and

WHEREAS, approximately 95 percent of childhood cancer survivors will face at least one chronic health condition later in life, including potential heart, liver, or lung damage, infertility, secondary cancers, or developmental challenges; and

WHEREAS, the causes of most childhood cancers remain unknown, and additional research is critical to understanding these diseases and developing more effective, targeted treatments for pediatric patients; and

WHEREAS, because pediatric cancers often differ significantly in type and behavior from adult cancers, treatment protocols must be tailored to meet the unique developmental and physiological needs of children; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of children across Virginia are currently receiving expert care at leading pediatric cancer centers, including the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville, Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital in Falls Church, Children’s National Northern Virginia in Fairfax, and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month serves as an opportunity to honor the children and families affected by pediatric cancer, to support survivors and those in treatment, to remember those we have lost, and to advance efforts in education, research, and compassionate care;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 2025, as CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.