We work every day to combat the most common cause of death among children aged 1–14. Currently about 50 children – two full school classes – die of cancer in Sweden each year. It is a terrible disease for the affected children and their families. Which makes it easy for us to formulate our mission: We will quite simply do everything we can to one day eradicate childhood cancer once and for all.

As the single biggest financier of research in the field, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund has long served as a hub in the fight against childhood cancer. We play a key role in combating the disease and have been almost exclusively funded by support from private donors, great and small. That is why one of the most important parts of our task is managing our collected funds properly and ensuring that every penny makes as big a difference as possible.

Stronger together

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it is not a battle to be faced alone. We at the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund are and will remain open to collaborations with others. In particular those who share our task, or who in some other way want to work to create a better reality for children with cancer. To achieve even greater benefit, we can coordinate a call for research proposals in collaboration with another party, jointly plan advice and support activities that can benefit more people, or work with others to pursue an issue that covers a broader field.

Another element of the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund’s task is to be there for everyone who needs us. For the patients themselves, for their families, for those who need advice and support, for those who want to get involved in important research issues, for those who survived their childhood cancer and for those who want to spread our message. And of course, for those who want to contribute.

No one should have to die

For us, there is no alternative. We are convinced that in time we can solve the medical mystery that is childhood cancer. Because of this, we work from a clear zero vision – that one day we will eradicate childhood cancer. With the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund’s nearly 40 years of experience of fighting cancer, and with the progress we have made and continue to make, we are convinced that it is possible. At the same time, the field is associated with extreme complexity and a need for long-term initiatives. For us, and all those working to combat childhood cancer, the long-term perspective is sometimes frustrating. But we know that the end goal is worth all the effort. Cancer simply must not win.