The Paw Print

Give a Little, Gain a Lot
by Heeyoung, features editor

Everyone’s heard the saying “Find a penny, pick it up and all that day you’ll have good luck.”

Yes, it’s just a penny, but they add up.

The giving campaign usually lasts three weeks. The coins are accepted year-round (September-May). The donations go to lymphoma and leukemia victims.

Lymphoma is a form of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system (a system that carries white blood cells throughout the body).

Leukemia is a cancer that affects blood-forming cells of the body. It is characterized by too many abnormal white cells. It often begins in the bone marrow and then spreads to other parts of the body.

Both are potentially fatal and treatments like bone marrow scans, MRIs, and chemotherapy can cost thousands of dollars. Insurance can cover it, but not everyone has insurance.

Last year, Central Texas campaigns collected about $352,000—the total national contribution was close to $20,000,000! Much of the money goes to financial aid for the cancer victims, and the money that doesn’t go to financial aid goes to research for cures and support groups. This year the leadership students collected $3184.39!

Pennies for Patients holds personal meaning for students like Rebecca (7). After a year-long  battle with cancer in 2003, Her mom lost her battle to cancer. Her treatments included chemotherapy sessions and bone marrow transplants. Rebecca was just seven years old when she lost her mom.

“I can remember after the funeral we all went to my grandma’s house. I remember thinking nothing was ever going to be the same,” she said.

Every day, hundreds of families like this one are devastated when they lose a loved one to cancer.Rebecca says that an organization like Pennies for Patients probably would have helped with some of the expenses and maybe gotten her mom better treatments.

“I think getting money to find a cure will help in the future and make people happy.”
The Pennies for Patients campaign manager Veronica Glass visited the journalism class. She noted a success story between two families at Steiner Ranch Elementary.

“Last year The Honor Hero, a person who’s been or is going through treatment for cancer, was a parent of a student at Steiner Ranch Elementary. This parent raised awareness in the school, and later that year this family and another at the same school who were both diagnosed with blood cancer were able to support each other another through difficult times.”

As for the big question of how close we are to finding a cure for lymphoma and leukemia, the answer isn’t as simple as a yes or a no, according to Ms. Glass.

“It depends on which type of cancer the person suffers from. There are four types of blood cancer and hundreds of subtypes. We’ve very nearly almost found a cure for some of the subtypes. Some, we still have a while to research.”

In the meantime, Pennies for Patients is doing its part to make sure a cure is found sooner rather than later.

“We set aggressive goals and so far we’ve been reaching them,” Glass said. “Ninety percent are surviving childhood leukemia. The survival rate has increased over the last 60 years, since Pennies for Patients was founded.”

And yes, there is a difference between childhood cancer and getting cancer as an adult.

“Depending on your age, your body responds differently to treatments. Even cancer treatment for teens is different from cancer treatment for kids. So far treatment for kids has been most successful,” Glass said.

So, the next time you see a penny on the sidewalk, don’t just pass it by. You may be walking past an opportunity to save someone’s life.