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MILWAUKEE, April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Motherhood is a lifelong promise to love, protect and fight for your child. For some mothers, the greatest fight isn't their own – it's helping their child battle cancer.

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Beginning today and throughout May, Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is honoring heroic moms of childhood cancer patients by sharing their inspiring stories of strength. Additionally, the foundation is making a $50,000 grant in support of these moms to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to help find a cure.

Northwestern Mutual will share the personal stories of eight mothers and their children from across the country through a Facebook campaign. From doctor's appointments to career sacrifices, these women support their children in incredible ways, such as:

• Anna Guerrero, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Anna used the money she saved for her dream wedding to throw her son Manny a "No More Chemo" party following his last treatment session for leukemia.
• Tammy Bridegroom, Chesterton, Indiana: Tammy lived full-time at the hospital while her daughter Phoenix was treated for leukemia, relapsed and underwent a stem cell transplant, while her husband cared for their son at home.
• Carrie Richardson, Sugar Land, Texas: Carrie saw her energetic daughter Peyton losing energy at ballet and was shocked when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Carrie and her husband must balance Peyton's intensive treatment schedule with caring for their young son Major and providing a sense of normalcy.

"The commitment these heroic mothers show their children and the work they do to bring awareness to childhood cancer is truly inspirational," said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Sharing their stories is just one way we thank them for their commitment to fighting this disease, and we hope that one day no child will have to endure cancer."

Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children younger than 19 in the U.S., yet childhood cancer research and services are vastly and consistently underfunded. The Foundation grant will help fund research hours for scientists to advance their work to find a cure.

"When our daughter Alex was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at age 1, I was in awe of my wife Liz's ability to stay present with all of the treatments as well as to be a mom to our other children. She made sure our daughter was taken care of and that family life remained as normal as possible for everyone during that critical time," said Jay Scott, husband to Liz Scott and co-executive director, ALSF. "She and I decided that we needed to fulfill Alex's wish to put an end to childhood cancer. Liz's strength is inspiring, as is her ability to be a great mom and a wonderful wife."

Northwestern Mutual launched its Childhood Cancer Program in 2012 to accelerate the search for cures to childhood cancer and to provide support to families battling the disease. To date, Northwestern Mutual and its network of financial representatives have raised more than $10 million and funded 105,000 hours of research to help discover life-saving treatments.

To learn more about the foundation's work to end childhood cancer, visit the Childhood Cancer Program page.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $120 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 550 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

About Northwestern Mutual Foundation
The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given nearly $270 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination.

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for nearly 160 years. Our financial representatives build relationships with clients through a distinctive planning approach that integrates risk management with wealth accumulation, preservation and distribution. With $238.5 billion in assets, $27.9 billion in revenues and more than $1.6 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.3 million people who rely on us for insurance and investment solutions, including life, disability income and long-term care insurance; annuities; trust services; mutual funds; and investment advisory products and services. Northwestern Mutual is recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2016.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC).

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual