Every year, some 15,700 children are diagnoised with cancer in the United States. -- I was one of them.
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, also know as ALL, is the most common cancer found in children, accounting for about 75% of pediatric diagnoses. Leukemia is a blood cancer and most often occurs in the white blood cells, but some leukemias start in other blood cell types.
Initially, the symptoms of leukemia present like the flu, people just feel tired and weak, often with a fever and loss of appetite. Due to a malignant disease of the bone marrow, abnormal and immature white blood cells enter the bloodstream. Chemotherapy is the main form of treatment for leukemia and strong medications often cause rashes and other skin issues . The exact cause of leukemia in adolescents is still unkown. Researchers have suggested that some childhood leukemias may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
My inspiration for The Frosting Company and my commitment to raise awareness for pediatric cancer was shaped by these discoveries. Thus my sister and I created a line of artisan products that are free of gluten, soy, parbens, sulfates, phthalates and artificial preservatives. We also work with celebrities to bring them into pediatric oncology units as part of our Giving Back program.