Innocent children like Madelyn should never know the pain of cancer.

Little Madelyn is just 5 years old, but she is at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fighting a deadly tumor called neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is an aggressive tumor that commonly strikes babies and young children. Each year, thousands of children are affected by childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

At St. Jude, doctors and scientists are working night and day to unlock the mysteries of pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma, so precious children like Madelyn can have hope for a life free from cancer. Since its opening in 1962, St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent to more than 70 percent overall. In fact, the survival rate for one of the most common forms of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), has increased from 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today.

But there is still much work to do, and many children like Madelyn are still waiting for a cure.

Thankfully, these children and their families can find hope at St. Jude, where no child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance.

Won't you help us defeat childhood cancer?

In the spirit of the holidays, St. Jude and Care2 want to know what you are doing to give back to children this holiday season.

You can make a difference in the lives of children suffering from cancer. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Learn more about how you can diagnose and better prevent childhood cancer and other diseases by visiting www.stjude.org,
• Sign up to receive more information from St. Jude,
• Donate money to the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign before 2008,
• Forward this pledge to five friends who are interested in helping children like Madelyn, and
• Volunteer to help St. Jude in your community.

We know that as a Care2 member, you are doing your part and have great ideas about how we can all help children.

Tell us what you're doing to make a difference in the life of a child this holiday season!http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/906520270