Some people are already pulling out their pink ribbons in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, but September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month -- and one little girl doesn't want you to forget it.
Acute myeloid leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer for someone to get at age 13.
Alyssa Howell says she was shocked when she got the news.
“I really didn’t understand the word 'cancer' or acute myeloid leukemia, or what was going on with my body as a 13-year-old,” said Howell.
Howell says the drugs she took were made for adults, but it was the only hope she had.
“They use adult treatments on kids, our bodies are much smaller, we're still developing,” said Howell.
Howell says childhood cancer awareness is often ignored or made to look prettier than it is.
She says it's not kids with bald heads smiling for the camera.
In her experience, it's spending your 14th birthday crying in a hospital bed or meeting friends that will never get a chance to go to prom or even have a first kiss.
“I watched kids die on the daily, it’s not easy to deal with,” said Howell.
She is taking the time she was given to speak at her school and her community, hoping to make a difference.
“Childhood cancer needs more funding. We need to raise money and funds, because kids are dying every day,” said Howell.
She wants more awareness, more research and more attention given to childhood cancer.
And she won't stop until she accomplishes her goal.
To donate and support children with cancer, you can visit St. Jude's website or Jay's Hope.