Childhood cancer survivors celebrated at Memorial during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Some of Memorial Health’s youngest cancer survivors are being celebrated at the children’s hospital for beating the disease.

Davy, the Ghost Pirate, was also there to lift children’s spirits for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Young cancer survivors were at the children’s hospital playground having a ball with all kinds of activities and sweet treats. The real treat for these families, who have battled or are still battling cancer, is being reminded they always have a family here at Memorial to lean on.

Memorial leaders presented CURE Childhood Cancer charity organization with a check for $20,000.

Whether it be riding bikes, feeling the love from volunteers or having a scoop of ice cream, organizers with Memorial and CURE say they just wanted to do what they could to smile on the faces of some of the bravest children they know.

And these gestures go a long way for parents like Allison Suddeth, who was by her daughter Lily’s side every step of the way after about two years of treatment.

“It’s important to know that we’re not alone. I think that’s the biggest thing is that you feel like you’re alone but then you look around and you see all these different families and all of the staff and doctors and everyone that supports you. It’s so important just to know that you have people to rely on and people to lean on and that you’re definitely not alone at all,” Suddeth said.

“Children and families go through so much during the course of their treatment but at the end of the day, they are all just children that want to have fun and live normal lives. We’re very excited to have an opportunity like this to draw attention,” said Ashley Eason, a pediatric oncologist at Memorial.

Children also had a chance to do arts and crafts and place gold pinwheels with their names on them in the ground to celebrate all they’ve overcome.

Memorial Health leaders say as more technology surfaces to treat children’s cancer, they are still seeing a slight increase in child cancer patients at the hospital. So, they say today was good way to also spread awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

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