Childhood Cancer Awareness Initiative
Our Childhood Cancer Awareness Headbands have been created with extra love and care to spread joy to mamas and children who have been affected by Childhood Cancer.
We have elected to partner with The Warrior Mama Project, a non-profit that creates care packages for mamas who are currently in the cancer treatment stage with their child.
Proceeds from every purchase of a Childhood Cancer Awareness Headband will benefit The Warrior Mama Project. Additionally, we are accepting donations to fund the creation of more Childhood Cancer Awareness Headbands (beyond our initial inventory) exclusively for continued distribution in Warrior Mama Care Packages.
With your help, we hope to provide thousands of Childhood Cancer Awareness headbands for The Warrior Mama Project to distribute in care packages, spreading a bit of joy and light during what is otherwise a very dark time.
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Meet the founder of The Warrior Mama Project
Emily is a mom of 3 (two girls and a boy) who resides in McKinney, Texas. The Warrior Mama Project was born after her personal experience navigating childhood cancer. Emily's son Drew was diagnosed with stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma on May 10, 2019. Drew completed 42 weeks of frontline chemo, 6 additional months of maintenance chemo, 6 weeks of daily sedated proton radiation to his right jaw with an additional week to his spine. He was declared no evidence of disease on July 7, 2020. Since founding The Warrior Mama Project, Emily has been able to distribute 835 Warrior Mama Care Packages to fellow mamas with children in cancer treatment.
Drew's Journey, written by Emily
"Drew was diagnosed with stage four rhabdomyosarcoma on May 6, 2019 when he was six years old. He underwent 16 months of chemo and radiation and was declared cancer free on July 7, 2020. He endured multiple hospital stays, pokes, MRIs, blood transfusions, an ICU stay, infections, losing his hair twice, plus the horrendous side effects of chemo and radiation. Drew finished treatment on September 7, 2020. His last MRI was clear this past August! He now sees an endocrinologist to help with growth as his pituitary gland does not function any more. He has to have a daily shot to help with that. He is so brave. His mom gets to be a nurse at work and at home! He had lymph nodes removed in April as another side effect of the radiation. Even when the cancer is gone, the lasting effects of treatment never end. The chemo protocol he was on dates back to the 1970’s. This needs to change. We need new and better treatment. We partner with Alex’s Lemonade Stand on the important job of research for childhood cancer treatments. Our team of Warrior Mamas has donated over $4,000 for our research fund!
I had to take a year off of work to be able to take care of him which included scheduling his every minute with what he needed that day, advocating for his care, researching protocols, watching for fever and infection, all while taking care of my 2 girls and household as well. We were very blessed to have an incredible support system with financial support through a go-fund-me, a meal train that lasted a year, and friends and family that picked up all of my slack. I realized not everyone had that. I also found strength in connection with the other moms that were also inpatient with their child at Children’s Dallas. Bonds formed instantly. We shared snacks, advice, and tears. I learned to advocate for a mattress pad that would make us more comfortable. I learned where the towels were kept when Drew was sick in the night. There were adventures to the Starbucks several buildings away while our kids were sleeping.
On our daily drive to the proton radiation center in Irving from McKinney, I began to hear God giving me hints of what we would do to give back once we were done. Drew was sedated every single day for 28 days for radiation. I had a lot of time with my thoughts. This is where The Warrior Mama Project was born. When it was time, we sent our first care package to 2 incredible oncology moms Rachel and Hailey. The care packages contain special items that helped me mentally, practically, and financially during Drew’s treatment. Most importantly it’s a hug from another oncology mom who has been exactly where the recipient is currently. We help these special mamas feel seen, known, and loved. Since November 6, 2021 we have shipped out 842 care packages across the country to 48 states. We also hosted our 2nd annual Mother’s Day event at our local hospitals Children’s Dallas and Plano. We gifted swag bags and lunch to 70 local inpatient moms this year. We also sent 800 gifts to other oncology units across pediatric hospitals in Texas. We will never not be in the fight for better, safer, less traumatic treatment for our children. Drew and I are headed to Washington DC at the end of September to continue to advocate for childhood cancer."
I had to take a year off of work to be able to take care of him which included scheduling his every minute with what he needed that day, advocating for his care, researching protocols, watching for fever and infection, all while taking care of my 2 girls and household as well. We were very blessed to have an incredible support system with financial support through a go-fund-me, a meal train that lasted a year, and friends and family that picked up all of my slack. I realized not everyone had that. I also found strength in connection with the other moms that were also inpatient with their child at Children’s Dallas. Bonds formed instantly. We shared snacks, advice, and tears. I learned to advocate for a mattress pad that would make us more comfortable. I learned where the towels were kept when Drew was sick in the night. There were adventures to the Starbucks several buildings away while our kids were sleeping.
On our daily drive to the proton radiation center in Irving from McKinney, I began to hear God giving me hints of what we would do to give back once we were done. Drew was sedated every single day for 28 days for radiation. I had a lot of time with my thoughts. This is where The Warrior Mama Project was born. When it was time, we sent our first care package to 2 incredible oncology moms Rachel and Hailey. The care packages contain special items that helped me mentally, practically, and financially during Drew’s treatment. Most importantly it’s a hug from another oncology mom who has been exactly where the recipient is currently. We help these special mamas feel seen, known, and loved. Since November 6, 2021 we have shipped out 842 care packages across the country to 48 states. We also hosted our 2nd annual Mother’s Day event at our local hospitals Children’s Dallas and Plano. We gifted swag bags and lunch to 70 local inpatient moms this year. We also sent 800 gifts to other oncology units across pediatric hospitals in Texas. We will never not be in the fight for better, safer, less traumatic treatment for our children. Drew and I are headed to Washington DC at the end of September to continue to advocate for childhood cancer."
