ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. A chance to honor children who are battling and who has passed.
Sadly more than 1,000 children under the age of 15 are expected to die from cancer this year in the U.S.
Its the second leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14.
A Fort Mill mom knows that all too well after her son passed away after fighting a rare type of cancer called NUT Midline Carcinoma.
For Fort Mill’s Kathryn Martin, the bond she had with her 15 year old son, Jonathan will never be broken.
“He was a mentor, he loved to volunteer”, says Kathryn.
Kathryn, an Army Veteran and mom of 7 says she and her family moved to Fort Mill to be closer to family in the summer of 2021.
Suddenly life came to a tragic stop after Jonathan, who was always healthy started to feel sick. Soon he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer called NUT Midline Carcinoma.
He was given 6 months to live. Martin says her son fought like a warrior, never giving up with his mom right by his side. Jonathan had countless treatments to fight the disease.
But on October 5th 2021, Jonathan’s fought as hard as he could, Kathryn says he passed away surrounded by those who love him the most.
According to experts only 4 percent of federal funding goes to researching childhood cancers. Congressman Ralph Norman says something has to change, that’s why he introduced the Fighting Cancer in Children Act.
Norman says the act would put an additional $30 million towards pediatric cancer research, awareness, and survivorship.
