September is childhood cancer awareness month and with just twelve hair-growing weeks to go until the 4th Annual Hannah’s Heroes Shave, organisers are encouraging supporters to cancel their next hair appointment and shave their heads to raise funds for the St Baldrick’s Foundation. This year’s event will take place on Friday 23rd September at the Wicket, Cricket Square.

Now in its fourth year, the event was conceived by Gaylene and Nigel Meeson to raise awareness about childhood cancer. In 2012 their daughter Hannah was diagnosed with anaplastic medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer.

“As a parent of a child with cancer there are moments that you are overwhelmed by helplessness and despair and the desperate need to do something, anything, to help find a cure. All childhood cancers combined receive only 4% of US federal funding for cancer research so without vital research funded by organizations like St Baldrick’s, Hannah and children like her simply will not survive. All children deserve to grow up and realise their full potential and it’s something that most families take for granted, “ says Mrs. Meeson.

Following the success of the 2013 Shave Event The Meesons established “Hannah’s Heroes”, a hero fund of the St Baldrick’s Foundation in honour of all children in the Cayman Islands battling cancer. Since the first Shave event in September 2013, Hannah’s Heroes has raised US $1,027,441 for childhood cancer research. Other childhood cancer survivors in Cayman are also involved in helping raise funds and awareness, including Skylar “Mimi” Ebanks (3), Annabelle Reading (5), Beau Shields (4) , Tayden Grant, (8) and Charli Foster (8). As there is no treatment available for childhood cancer in the Cayman Islands it is necessary for them all to travel frequently to the US for treatments and check ups.

“St Baldrick’s mission is to fund research to find cures for childhood cancer and our family is in desperate need of a cure. St Baldrick’s gives children and families hope and the best chance of survival. St Baldrick’s only fund childhood cancer research and they do it really well and by supporting them together we can make a real difference to the lives of all kids fighting cancer. ” says Mechon Evangelista-Ebanks, mother to 3 year old Mimi who at 6 weeks old was diagnosed with ependymoma, a type of brain cancer.

The event annually attracts supporters from a broad cross section of the Cayman community, with shavees including the families of childhood cancer survivors, children, MLAs, professional service firms and many other teams including the Cayman Islands Fire Service whose team The Firebalds will shave again this September in honour of Dimitrie Connor, the grandson of Firefighter Henry Solomon. Dimitrie lost his battle to a rare brain stem tumor, Pontine Gloma, in 2013 at 15 years of age. Amongst the many supporters returning to shave this year is Prospect Primary School student 7 year old Olly Thorpe. Inspired by her friend Hannah’s courage, Olly shaved in 2015 and is back this year to continue her advocacy for childhood cancer research.

“ I am shaving again because I need to help other kids, not just Hannah, because they still haven’t cured cancer yet and if everyone just shaves once the money will run out”, says Olly.

The cancer parents of Hannah’s Heroes are all very moved by the outpouring of help and support. “Community support has been overwhelming. We are simply blown away by Cayman taking this cause to its heart, from school bake sales and children donating their pocket money through to others endurance running and of course the many supporters who have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars by by shaving; it is so inspiring to see such a huge cross section of Cayman united to raise funds for life-saving research. We can’t wait to return to the Wicket this September and stand united with others in the fight against childhood cancer”, says Mrs Meeson.

To donate to the St Baldrick’s Foundation or learn more about the 4th Annual Hannah’s Heroes Shave for the St Baldrick’s Foundation visit stbaldricks.org/events/hannahsheroes | facebook.com/stbaldricks-HannahsHeroes | email: [email protected]

Hannah’s Heroes is a Hero Fund of the St Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest non-government funder of childhood cancer research in the US. Since inception The St Baldrick’s Foundation have awarded over US$100 million in childhood cancer research grants and two research grants have been named in Hannah Meeson’s honour, testament to the US$600,000 raised during head shaving events held in the Cayman Islands in 2013 and 2014.