In honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach is gathering “Flames of Hope.” The “flames” are a symbolic representation of hope and healing, through inspirational messages. These messages are placed on a giant torch to “light up” the Miller Children’s lobby as a symbol to “ignite” hope and raise awareness for childhood cancers.

Visitors, care team members, patients, families and community members stopped by on Thursday, September 5 to kick-off the campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach is indebted and proud of the local communities and the outpour of employee support as it kicked off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

“I’m not surprised by the overwhelming response we have received just one week into Childhood Cancer Awareness Month,” says Amanda Termuhlen, M.D., medical director, Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. “I have no doubt we will surpass our goal of 2,000 “Flames of Hope.” Our community is made up of amazing individuals who not only support our efforts but go above and beyond to raise awareness for those affected by childhood cancers.”

Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center team rallies to raise awareness of childhood cancer in our communities. Make a difference this September and join Miller Children’s to spread awareness, hope and go gold for kids with cancer with its “Flames of Hope.”

Miller Children’s invites the community to help us “light up” the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center awareness torch throughout September. Write an inspiring message, draw a picture or include a photo to show your support to our patients battling cancer. Send Miller Children’s your “Flame of Hope” and help raise awareness for childhood cancers.

Visit MillerChildrens.org/SpreadHopeGoGold to print out your “Flame of Hope.”

Above left:The Waldrop family Jenni, Bill and Sydney, stopped by Miller Children’s to place their “Flames of Hope” on the awareness torch in honor of Sydney’s battle with langerhans cell sarcoma, a cancer with less than 50 documented cases worldwide. Above right: Sister of Andrea, a Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center patient who is currently battling cancer, places her “Flame of Hope” on the awareness torch.

A group of community members and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach employees gathered to write messages of hope and raises awareness for childhood cancers.

Gold ribbons representing support to raise awareness for childhood cancers covered the tabletops as supporters filled out “Flames of Hope.