Chances are you know someone who is fighting cancer -- but some of the toughest cases are found in kids. In fact, 45,000 kids under the age of 14 are fighting cancer in America.
That's something the company Love Your Melon is trying to change. It has set up a network online and on college campuses across the U.S.
The founder of the Campus Crew at the University of Kansas is Hailey Waldenmeyer. She started the group when she was a freshman after her mom Jennifer Waldenmeyer saw an ad for the beanies.
"She stumbled upon it watching the Sochi Olympics and told me about it," said Waldenmeyer.
Back then the company had a buy one, give one model: for every hat it sold it sent one to a child fighting cancer. The company grew quickly and soon it redirected efforts to fund pediatric cancer research. Love Your Melon has donated more than $2.5 million to pediatric cancer research and it still gives away hats.
That's something Waldenmeyer can get behind.
"You never understand cancer until you have a loved one, or you are the one affected by it. It's kind of an elephant in the room," explained Waldenmeyer.
Besides delivering hats to children in the hospital and helping fund cancer research, Waldenmeyer has a different reason for being involved. Last November her mother Jennifer lost her five year battle with colon cancer.
"Giving up is never an option. That's never something your mom or loved one would want you to do," said Waldenmeyer.
Her hope is that one day cancer will become a chronic illness that people can live with.
But before research comes that far, she's sticking with delivering hats to children fighting cancer to lift their spirits.
"With chemotherapy you lose your hair and that's the whole reason behind Love Your Melon. It helps them to be more comfortable in their own skin," explained Waldenmeyer.
Love Your Melon partners include the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, One Summit, Make A Wish Foundation, Cure Search and the Pinky Swear Foundation, among others.
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Belinda Post can be reached at belinda.post@kshb.com.
