Mr. Speaker, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Here are some statistics. There are over 10,000 kids living with cancer in Canada. More than 1,500 children will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Sadly, one in five children will not survive.
Even with those startling statistics, only 3% of all cancer research dollars in Canada go toward childhood cancer research.
Mr. Speaker, in 2007, my friend and your colleague, Chris Collins, the current Speaker of the New Brunswick legislative assembly, lost his son Sean after a four-year battle with cancer. Since Sean's passing, Mr. Collins has been dedicated to raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer research in Canada. He is currently cycling through his second cross-country charity bike ride.
I encourage all members to support his efforts by donating to the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride.
This September, my thoughts are with Chris, Lisette, and Sean, and with all families affected by this cruel disease.