An Andalusia woman said she hasn’t a as much as usual for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, but she has a good reason why.

Christy Sasser, who’s son Cooper has been battling leukemia since he as 19 months old, is ready to celebrate.

“I didn’t do a whole lot like I normally do,” Sasser said. “We just really want to be able to celebrate him finishing. But we are selling gold shoelaces and those are at Andalusia Cash and Carry.”

There are also gold ribbon face tattoos and bracelets available at the store, she said.

Additionally, she is asking everyone to participate in “hat day” on Sunday in celebration of Cooper’s last treatment.

“We are asking all the ladies to please wear a hat to church and then all the men to wear bowties,” she said. “Cooper absolutely loves bowties and would wear a bowtie every single day of his life, if you’d let him.

“We’re doing this not just in honor of his last treatment, but also in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness,” she said.

Hat day was started at her church, Buck Creek Baptist Church in Red Level, after Cooper’s diagnosis but she said it has been taken up in other churches.

“We started it in our church but really we’ve expanded,” Sasser said. “There are several other churches that participate.

Those who want to participate can post pictures of themselves on the Cooper’s Crew Facebook page because he would love to see them, she said.

The more awareness there is for childhood cancer means more funding and more research, which in turn leads to more cures, she said.

“It’s not just about Cooper it’s about every child that comes after him,” Sasser said. “We want to do all that we can to make it better for the next persons that come after us.”

Approximately a quarter of the 15,780 children under the age of 21 diagnosed with cancer every year will not survive, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization.