According to a story from People.com, Gretchen Witt began selling cookies in order to raise money for cancer research after it seemed like her son Liam’s battles with stage IV neuroblastoma was finally over. What started out as a bake sale is now a fully-fledged nonprofit organization called Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Neuroblastoma can form in several types of nerve tissue. It can often start in one of the adrenal glands but can also originate in the abdomen, spine, chest, or neck. Symptoms may include bone pain, breathing problems, constipation, problems with movement, lumps in the affected area, or a painless blue lump that is visible beneath the skin. The cancer can be low or high risk depending on the stage, and had often already spread when it is discovered. It is rare in adults. Possible treatments range from surgery, stem cell transplant, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Causes of this cancer are not well understood. Advanced stages of neuroblastoma generally respond poorly to treatment and survival rate low. To learn more about this form of cancer, click here.
Liam was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma at only two and a half years old. He withstood treatment for about a year and it appeared to be successful. However, Gretchen had seen other families at the hospital that had not had things go their way, and she wanted to find a way to give back. She first began her bake sale drive in 2007. Using a commercial kitchen, a group of 250 volunteers baked a staggering 96,000 cookies in two days and they were able to raise $420,000 with sales.
