Lighting Honors Children Lost to Cancer, Survivors, Families and Health Care Workers Battling this Disease

Pediatric Cancer Remains the Leading Cause of Death by Disease for American Children Younger than 15 Years Old

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that 15 landmarks and bridges across New York will be illuminated in yellow this evening in recognition of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. The campaign focuses on remembering the young lives lost to pediatric cancer, honoring those families and health care workers battling this disease and recommitting to finding a cure once and for all.

"There's no understating the pain and anguish that confronts a family when a child is diagnosed with cancer," Governor Hochul said. "This month, we are redoubling our efforts to fight pediatric cancer and support those who are impacted by this awful disease. As we illuminate our state landmarks tonight, I urge all New Yorkers to honor those children lost to cancer each year and provide warm encouragement to the many others fighting this awful disease."

New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Coping with cancer at any age is hard, but especially when it's a child. During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we reflect on the young lives lost to cancer, comfort those families facing this diagnosis, and honor the health care providers who fight this disease while compassionately caring for these young patients. The Department of Health is raising awareness of and support for cancer prevention policies in our local communities through the Department's Community Cancer Prevention in Action program to help reduce the number of cancer cases, especially pediatric cancers."

These 15 landmarks and bridges will be illuminated in yellow:

    Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
    Kosciuszko Bridge
    The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
    State Education Building
    Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
    Empire State Plaza
    State Fairgrounds - Main Gate & Expo Center
    Niagara Falls
    The "Franklin D. Roosevelt" Mid-Hudson Bridge
    Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
    Albany International Airport Gateway
    The Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex
    The Lake Placid Olympic Center
    MTA Long Island Rail Road - East End Gateway at Penn Station
    Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal

In the United States, about 10,470 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in this year and about 1,050 children will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. While childhood cancer rates have been rising slightly for the past few decades, major treatment advances have allowed about 85 percent of children with a diagnosis to survive for five years or more.