The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 15,000 children and adolescents ages 0-19 were diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. in 2021. The numbers are staggering, and until we have a cure for cancer, we will continue to hear story after story of children with cancer.
For parents of those children though, it is only the one case that really matters to them. Just ask long-time Chandler resident Patti Luttrell. In 1993, her son Jeff was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia shortly before he started kindergarten. With her background as a pediatric critical care nurse, Luttrell had the medical knowledge to understand what was going on with her son, but being on the parent side of it all was nothing she could prepare for.
It wasn’t just the emotional and mental toll that hit Luttrell and her husband but as you can imagine, there was also a huge financial hit as well. Fortunately for the couple, there were able to handle much of the financial impact, they had good health insurance, and a support system to help Jeff get a variety of cancer treatments. However, she knew not everyone was as lucky her family, and realized she needed to do something to help.
Luttrell wasn’t alone in her hopes to help make a difference; it quickly became a family affair.
“My then-teenage daughter Jenny was profoundly affected by the difficulties other families faced. She put a stake in the ground and said, ‘We’re going to make a difference.’”
In 2005, with proceeds from a garage sale and Jenny’s vision to host a fashion show to benefit the cause, the pair were able to create the Children’s Cancer Network (CCN). At first, they operated the organization out of their home, but as it gained momentum, they settled into an office and warehouse space that now serves as a hub for everything from wig fittings and self-esteem classes to holiday parties and a Mother’s Day Tea.
The Chandler-based grassroots organization has an annual budget of one million dollars, and of that, more than 80 cents of every dollar goes directly to families dealing with cancer here in Arizona. The nonprofit helps thousands of Arizona families from the initial diagnosis and well into the future of treatments, and so much more.
“We serve families facing pediatric cancer, including babies who have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, kindergarteners with acute lymphocytic leukemia, and high school athletes who have lost an arm or leg to osteosarcoma,” says Luttrell. “We are a support system for parents facing overwhelming stress and fear, trying to hold down jobs and keep their families intact while caring for children fighting a deadly disease.”
The organization is also a great support system for siblings of cancer patients, helping them navigate all the changes in their lives and help pediatric patients and their families make smooth transitions to adult healthcare if needed as they get older.
CCN helps with educational support, emotional and psychosocial support program,s and works to encourage healthy lifestyles, covering just about basic need as it arises.
“We provide grocery and gas cards, wellness programs, and access to two CCN-funded family therapists at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. We also provide backpacks and other supplies to help financially distressed cancer families during back-to-school season.”
While the focus and most of the financial support stays here in Arizona to help families, they do offer some virtual programs to organizations and families fighting cancer battles in other parts of the nation.
CCN has come a long way since its inception 16 years ago, and the Luttrell family plans to continue to help ease the financial burdens facing families dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis.
“Knowing that pediatric cancer can be financially devastating, a big part of our work helps families defray the non-medical costs of cancer. We provide $100,000 each year in gas and food cards to mitigate the cost of travel to and from the hospital for treatment, and ensure families can put food on the table.”
For Luttrell, it isn’t just about helping families through the initial diagnosis. Knowing firsthand the toll it can take on a parent, it is about being there to hold hands, provide emotional support, and make sure those amid a cancer battle can put all of their focus on people, rather than financial worries.
At the end, the goal is for groups such as the Children’s Cancer Network to eventually work to eradicate cancer.
Luttrell says it best, “after all, wouldn’t it be great if there was no more cancer in the world?”