September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to remember the unique challenges faced by families dealing with childhood cancer.
According to CANSA, around 800–1 000 children in South Africa are diagnosed with cancer annually. While it takes a tragic toll on a child’s health and wellbeing, it also puts parents through emotional and financial hardship.
financial implications
Childhood cancer treatment is often a long and costly journey. Medical expenses can include hospital stays, chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, and other specialised treatments. Plus the costs mount up with out-of-pocket expenses, such as medication, medical equipment and home care services.
The financial impact of childhood cancer extends beyond medical costs. Joretha Bothma, head of product development, underwriting and claims at Momentum Life Insurance, says a parent’s ability to work is often compromised due to caregiving responsibilities, leading to a significant burden on the family’s income. This loss, combined with ongoing living expenses, can create a financial crisis for families.
Bothma says understanding these financial implications is crucial for effective planning, particularly the role of life insurance in providing security during such trying times. “Our statistics show that the incidence rate of childhood cancer has been increasing and it’s always one of the top two claim causes under our child critical illness category,” she notes. “The cost implications of this dreaded disease are vast, so it is best to be prepared. Parents should take steps to provide the best possible medical care for their children. Having comprehensive critical illness cover is probably the most important place to start.
“Adequate financial planning and insurance coverage can at least help to ease the burden, so the family can focus more on their child and the trauma they are enduring,” says Bothma.
insurance for financial protection
Life insurance plays a pivotal role in safeguarding families against the financial repercussions of cancer. Bothma says critical illness cover for children provides protection against the financial consequences of a child suffering from a range of critical illnesses.
“Parents should be aware that some critical illness insurance policies actually provide for their children at no extra cost. This benefit becomes a crucial component of any family’s financial planning.”
Importantly, she says any critical illness claim payout for children should not reduce the parents’ cover either. “Each child is treated as a separate life on our Complete Critical Illness Benefit, meaning that a claim for one child will not reduce the parent’s cover or the cover provided for any other children linked to the policy,” she says.
Read our article on coping with childhood cancer.
ensuring the wellbeing of those with childhood cancer
CHOC, the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA, is a non-profit organisation advocating for the health and wellbeing of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders and their families. The organisation aims to save lives through early detection and comprehensive support programmes for those affected by cancer and offers psychosocial, emotional and practical support.
In CHOC’S latest newsletter, the organisation writes: “Despite the incredible progress we’ve made, with South Africa’s survival rate for childhood cancer increasing to 55%, we still have a long way to go to match the 80–90% survival rates of developed countries. More concerning is the fact that some children and teens may be missed entirely – never diagnosed or misdiagnosed – due to a lack of awareness of the early warning signs of childhood cancer.”
Early detection can be the first step toward effective treatment and better outcomes. Prompt identification and diagnosis can significantly improve outcomes and potentially save lives. CHOC provides valuable resources and information on recognising these signs, empowering parents, and caregivers to seek timely medical attention for suspicious symptoms.
raising funds for childhood cancer sufferers one cupcake at a time
To support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, National Cupcake Day 4 Kids with Cancer takes place in September annually (on 28 September this year) at various malls throughout the country. This fundraising initiative by local NPO Cupcakes of Hope supports families and children diagnosed with all kinds of cancers.
National Cupcake Day 4 Kids with Cancer started in 2012 and, over the past 10 years, Cupcakes of Hope have assisted over 10, 000 children with cancer. Over R10 million has been raised to provide for hundreds of young cancer patients and their families monthly. This includes covering their medical bills and other essential needs, from nappies to nutrition and everything in between.
The Cupcake Angels (volunteer bakers) are the foundation that supports everything that is done via the NPO. Located around the country, they make and sell cupcakes and donate the funds to Cupcakes of Hope.
The organisation appeals to the public to support this fundraising initiative by buying cupcakes on the day at any participating malls.
