HIGH SURVIVAL: It’s a gripping image, bald...

HIGH SURVIVAL: It’s a gripping image, bald little tykes valiantly fighting for life. Thankfully, experts say, these children make up only 2% of all cancer patients, but 240 Orange County children under the age of 14 were found to have the grueling disease between 1988 and 1990. . . . The most common childhood cancer? Acute lymphocytic leukemia, caused by a proliferation of white blood cells. The good news: Orange County cancer specialists now believe about two-thirds of kids with cancer will survive.

GROUND ZERO: Most local young folks with cancer will eventually visit Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where leading research is conducted. The hospital is at the head of the pack in its study of bone marrow use. . . . Besides transplants, doctors harvest healthy marrow cells and bank them to boost patients’ immunity after chemotherapy. The end result: Patients can endure higher treatment doses more often. “We are doing here what only a couple of centers in the country are doing,” said Dr. Geni Bennetts, director of CHOC’s hematology and oncology division.

HOLIDAY MAIL: Kids Cancer Connection of Irvine lets stricken children draw a yearly line of holiday cards, whose sales finance art therapy, back-to-school meetings for teachers and family support programs. . . . Artist Christy Hernandez, 10, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, drew the manger, above. Children as young as 5 have also created skating penguins and “Moo-ey Christmas” cards. The Connection, founded by two local mothers of children with cancer, hopes to sell 40,000 cards this year.

SURVIVORS: When cancer invades your life, sometimes the best antidote is to run away for a weekend. Hence, the fall Pediatric Oncology Retreat, organized by the Clinical Cancer Center of UCI Medical Center. . . . In September, the retreat played host to 60 families at a desert resort, where patients, parents and siblings played some and learned about coping after cancer. “We got the bird show from Sea World out, and the kids loved it,” said one organizer, Shirley Thiel. “It’s an amazing few days.”