One East Bay family is calling for more federal funding during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. And they should know whether or not it's needed -- they've lived through the experience firsthand.
Three years ago, Krista and Danny Keller first learned their 4-year-old son Enzo had Stage 3 Burkitt lymphoma. The San Ramon couple says it got so bad doctors at Oakland Children's Hospital had to intubate Enzo to allow him to breathe.
Fortunately, Enzo is now in remission. But the Kellers say the federal government all but ignores designating money specifically for pediatric cancer.
"We think about in the medical field all the advancements in so many diseases and things for adults, and pediatric cancers have had no improvement … for decades," Krista Keller said. "So, for us, that’s unacceptable."
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The U.S. government spends billions of dollars each year on cancer research, less than 5% of which is directed specifically to treating childhood cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
The Kellers launched the Enzo & Me Pediatric Cancer Foundation to help fund cutting-edge pediatric cancer research.
