Vienna Mom Raises Awareness of Childhood Cancer, One Gold Ribbon at a Time

Most people recognize the ubiquitous pink ribbon that adorns cars, tee shirts, and fundraising request, but not many people recognize the meaning of a gold ribbon.

Are you stumped?

The gold ribbon is the symbol of childhood cancer awareness. September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in Vienna, one mom is dedicated to raising awareness one gold ribbon at a time.

Christine Remy’s daughter, Sabrina, is a cherubic little girl with a shock of curly red hair and a winning smile.

Upon first glance, one would never guess that Sabrina battled pediatric cancer. Sabrina was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in May 2012. She endured two cycles of chemotherapy at home, and then the family traveled to New York for her tumor resection surgery, spending more than a month in the hospital.

While Sabrina was in the hospital, Christine decided to research childhood cancers and realized that there wasn’t a lot of funding going towards research. 

“There’s not enough recognition of childhood cancers,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”

Motivated by her daughter's battle, Christine decided to take matters into her own hands. She distributed gold “goody bags” with gold ribbon pins and gold wristbands to friends and family in Vienna and beyond. She asks that recipients wear the pins and wristbands, pass them out to friends, and educate people about the meaning behind the ribbon.

Christine has used her connection as a VYI football team mom to raise awareness on the field. So far, 18 VYI football teams are wearing the gold ribbon on their helmets during the month of September. Her older kids are passing out ribbons at school and their teachers have noticed in a positive way. 

More than a year after her diagnosis, Sabrina is on a surveillance treatment plan, which includes frequent check ups to make sure the cancer is at bay. She is a happy, thriving two-year-old girl. Since Sabrina went into remission, Christine devotes her time towards spreading the word about childhood cancer awareness and educating the Vienna community. 

“Now that I have more time, I feel obligated to do something about it,” Christine said. “I can’t pretend I don’t know kids are suffering so much. We need to find an effective and safer treatment for kids.”

For the second year in a row, Christine will have a team participating in the CureSearch Walk in October. Team Sabrina will participate in the walk at Fairfax Corner, raising money for research for childhood cancer.  have a team participating in honor of Sabrina in the CureSearch Walk at Fairfax Corner in October.  So far, the team has recruited 17 members out of the goal of 50 members and have raised $3,730 out of its $10,000 goal.

To donate or to join Team Sabrina, click here.  For more information about Sabrina and Christine's journey, visit the Team Sabrina website.