Impact

Voices Against Cancer is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that raises funds and awareness for pediatrics, pediatric cancer, and pediatric cancer research. Children are our future, and the future is worth fighting for.

Almost 50 children are diagnosed with cancer EVERY day in the U.S., with survival rates differing for different types of childhood cancers – but overall, childhood cancer remains the most common cause of death by disease among children in the U.S.

Even though the most common types of childhood cancers are leukemias and brain/central nervous system cancers, there are more then 12 major types of childhood cancers and over 100 subtypes. Sadly, current statistics show that 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. will not survive.

With only about 4% of all federal funding for cancer research going to projects involving children’s cancers, it is up to us to make a difference and to help #GiveKidsAVoice. Childhood cancer also impacts the entire family – the child going through treatment, the siblings who support and also need support as they are at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties, and the parents who will sometimes lose up to 50% of their annual household income as a result of childhood cancer treatment-related work disruptions or having to quit their job to care for their child.

One of the major goals of childhood cancer research is to deal with side-effects of cancer treatment which can range widely from minor to severe, and they are dependent on a child’s specific treatments. Because kids are still growing and developing during cancer treatment, and these treatments are so harsh, many survivors face late-effects years or even decades after treatment is over. Better treatment, better protocols, and better options are needed today.

The majority of the funding that we use to support pediatrics, pediatric cancer, and pediatric cancer research comes from our Annual Voices Against Cancer’s 605 Pop Culture Con. The 605 Pop Culture Con includes a host of AMAZING TALENT who have epically rallied together to battle this horrible disease. These celebrities have been the defining voices and faces of generations, representing many different genres and franchises. In addition to iconic voice and screen actors, there will also be famed authors, numerous costumed performers for photo opportunities, original artwork from ridiculously talented artists, one-of-a kind silent auction items, and vendors selling very cool items for you to get signed or to augment your prized collections! The local Sioux Empire St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving Event will also be going on at the same time as another show of support for children battling cancer.

The Voices Against Cancer (VAC) event has only happened twice, but it has already become a family reunion for us! Our daughter was diagnosed with cancer at age 17. Now, she is NED (no evidence of disease), married, and living out of state. With all that VAC so generously gives to her (and our whole family), it has proven to be irresistible! She caught a flight home to enjoy it again this year! We can hardly wait for all the fun to start, we enjoy all it has to offer to the fullest, and are quick to put the next year’s event on our calendars! Cancer treatment was so hard on our daughter, and hard on her mother who watched her go through it, and hard on her father who was working hours away from the hospital, and hard on our younger daughter who was scared by the diagnosis and had to suddenly move forward without her mom and best-friend sister at home for weeks at a time. It was so hard for our family to be apart, and this event brings us together again! I know that many pediatric cancer stories are even more difficult than what we went through. The beautiful people who came up with the VAC concept and are busy building it into a more and more amazing event have the biggest hearts for the children and families they work so hard for! Their love is evident in the level of care and respect they show us, in how they go above and beyond to make the event so crazy fun, and in how generous they are with their time. The amount of money they are able to raise that goes toward cures and better treatments for childhood cancer patients, and toward the costs incurred by local area families with a child fighting cancer, is phenomenal! We want to support all they do as much as we can so these dear children of ours have improved treatments, cures, and a better chance at the incredible future they deserve! Voices Against Cancer, we are eternally grateful to you!! THANK YOU!!

Colleen Simon

Nobody ever wants to imagine their child helpless, hurting or sick. Nobody ever wants to imagine how their worst-case scenario might play out. Nobody ever wants to imagine what would happen…if. Our daughter was 9 months old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent several rounds of chemo and then surgery in New York. She and has gone 6 years now with no evidence of disease. Everyone’s cancer journey is unique and Haley’s is no exception. Notice I use the term “is” because unfortunately, the effects of cancer don’t just end with the ringing of a bell. Even those kiddos, like our daughter, that have managed to make it to remission are often left with side effects of treatment that will last a lifetime along with a constant worry of relapse.

Voices Against Cancer is an organization that walks “the way” with families like ours through all stages of pediatric cancer. They have managed to bring together strong voices, including voice actor and VOC ambassador Emily Swallow, to not only raise awareness of childhood cancer, but to actually BE the voice for some of the area's smallest fighters. Whether the fighters are now flying among the angels, fighting the fight or are moving towards remission, no matter where their cancer journey has taken them, Voices Against Cancer makes sure that no fighter (or their family) is forgotten.

Paula Vogel

Honored Family Mom Sarah Schmit shares her daughter's story. She knows that childhood cancer is only rare until it happens to you, and she wants to make sure people know that we all can help to #GiveKidsAVoice “Addie's story started on February 28, 2021 when she woke up throwing up. I thought to myself “oh my gosh. I brought the stomach bug home”. As I am an RN in a nursing home and we had the stomach bug going through. That day she only throw up once and laid around all day. Over the next two weeks she would throw up on and off and she would be at school on and off. Which she was in pre school. On March 8th at 3:30pm I get a call from the school that Addie is running fever and not feeling well. So to the school I go and I take Addie to Acute care as our primary could not fit her in that day. Acute care tested her for strep and Covid and both come back negative. They told me it was a virus and to just treat at home. Over the next week she would go to school on and off. Addie slept a lot and was not eating. Her 5th birthday was March 12th she was feeling ok but tired. We got through the weekend, March 15th there was snow and school was called off. So they stayed home while I went to work. I got home and she was sleeping at the bottom of the basement steps. March 16th she woke up gagging again and my husband told me to make an appointment with primary. I remember telling I could take her tomorrow as I had the day off. He insisted Addie had appointment at 9am with primary in March 16th. I went to work as I needed to get something done. We were texting back and forth. I knew they were doing some lab work and x-ray. I kept looking for the lab work to come back on my chart, but never came through on my chart. I was in the phone for work trying to get something figured out and my phone rings. It was my husband I picked up the phone and say “I can’t talk”. On the other line I hear Sarah this is Dr stop what you are doing and walk away. I hung up the phone and ran out of my office. She starts talking about lab work and how she has been sick for so long. She said Addie’s hemoglobin is 6 and I remember going “6”. She asks If I knew about labs work as I reply “ I am a nurse”. She goes on the say that they are going to call Sioux Falls and I go “ it has to be Sanford”. By this time some how I made it into my bosses office and shut the door, while I am crying my eyes out. I get off the phone with her and my husband gets on the phone and I say “ I am leaving work right now”. I get off the phone to tell my boss some of what is going on as she was listening to and could hear parts of the conversation with the Dr. I left work and headed home. On the way home my head is spinning and I am trying to text and call different people who should know what is kind of going on. Also while, in my head trying to think of everything I needed in a bag. I get home grab a bag and some things for all three of us. My husband calls “ you need to call insurance. They want Addie to go to Avera Queen of Peace first”. Which, is out of network hospital for our insurance. I am on the phone with insurance crying my eyes out. They said “ if it is an emergency go”. I call my husband back and say “go”. I got our bag and what I thought we would need, which I was so wrong. I got to the clinic as they were still at the clinic. The Dr comes in her room and to say the ER is ready and will take her. So we drive over to the ER. By this time it is about noon. We get over to the ER they start an IV and more labs drawn. They also do a dose of antibiotics and fluids. At this point it is like 4:30 in the afternoon, which we did get something to eat. The ambulance was finally on-site to take Addie to Sanford Children’s Hospital aka the castle. I road along in the ambulance and my husband followed behind. We met with oncology when we got to the hospital around 6:30pm. Addie had more lab work. She did end up having platelets and blood transfusion that night. My husband went back home to be with our boys. He came back up the next day. Addie had woke up around 7am on March 17th throwing up. The oncology team came into our room around 10:30, which my husband got back to the hospital before that. The oncology team breaks the news to us that Addie has ALL. I really don’t remember a lot of that conversation. I do remember they already had a plan in place. Addie was going to surgery at 1pm, which when the nurse came in she had kind of spilled the beans on that when she said Addie was NPO - nothing to eat or drink. Addie went into surgery to place port-a-cath, bone marrow biopsy, and lumbar puncture with chemo. This was the start of our journey. The first hospital stay was for 9 days. Which, I didn’t leave Addie’s room for the first 6. Addie would not let me leave. Also one very special PT finish was able to get Addie up out of bed and out of the room after 6 days in bed or at least just laying around in the hospital room. Addie finally diagnosis was B-cell ALL with Philadelphia like genetics, which took weeks to get final genetics back. The first phase of treatment for ALL is called induction which last 28 days. By day 28 Addie had another bone marrow biopsy and lumbar puncture with chemo, which Addie was so sick again by that time. Addie ended up back in the hospital again for another 6 days for dehydration and acute kidney injury. Though all of Addie’s treatment she has had 8 hospital stays planned and none planned hospital stays. Addie has done two rounds of 28 days of continuous IV immunotherapy. Which, we started each cycle in the hospital and then came home with IV. She also came home with IV fluids after one of unplanned hospital stays for two weeks. Addie did a year and half of long term maintenance as it is called, which we had oral chemo at home, did monthly appointments, and every 3 months lumbar punctures with chemo and IV chemo. Through the 2 and half years of treatment Addie had 19 lumbar punctures with chemo in the spine. Addie finished treatment of May 25, 2023. Addie still has side effects from the chemo of which are neuropathy of her legs and feet and Addie has a sand paper rash throughout her whole body. Addie goes back to the clinic monthly for lab work and IV antibiotics. Addie is a fighter and we will continue to fight for her and all children with cancer."

Sarah Schmit

We found out about Voices Against Cancer a year into our journey, after finding out my son was diagnosed with leukemia. The community has fully embraced us and given us some moments of fun and enjoyment that would not be possible otherwise. Being a family of 5 and going down to one income after my son’s diagnosis made it so extra stuff didn’t happen very much. Voices Against Cancer has made it possible to do simple things like go to the Butterfly House. Attending 605 Pop-Culture Con and being an honored family made my kids feel so special. They also loved being able to go to the “castle.” What I am very grateful for is that they include the siblings, from little things like being included in a group photo to big things like talking to a celebrity, they could feel special too. They always included the family, not just the child with cancer. We just found out about this community a few months ago. We are new to it but feel so loved and accepted. We also love to just be connected to others that get it! While every family’s story is different, everyone does get it for real and I’m so thankful for them all!

Nichole Harelson

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