While Mia and Noah Cruz work hard on achieving their dreams, their parents work on protecting their health.
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They're making sure both children are vaccinated against HPV, the human papilloma virus.
Melissa Cruz said, "HPV can cause certain types of cancer, so it's a great prevention to consider."
Dr. Eileen Everly of Children's Hospital adds, "The idea to be able to prevent cancer with a vaccine is totally revolutionary."
She also says HPV-related cancers have been on the rise.
Yet barely 40% of girls and fewer than 30% per cent of boys have received the 2-shot vaccination.
Last week, the nation's leading cancer centers made a joint call, urging more parents to have their kids vaccinated.
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HPV spreads through sexual contact, a topic parents may shy away from with pre-teens.
Dr. Everly says, "They want to say 'we don't need that right now.'"
Melissa and Edward Cruz says they've raised their children with a strong sense of right and wrong.
"As a Christian family, we do discuss the importance of waiting till they're married to have that kind of relationship," said Melissa.
But that's not a fail-safe.
Melissa continued, "There's really no way of knowing who they're going to marry, if they've had a partner in the past."
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The HPV vaccine is almost 100% effective when it's given before adolescents become sexually active.
Doctors think making it a standard part of the vaccine schedule will help.
Dr. Everly says, "Hey, today, for Johnny's 11-year-old shots, he's getting a meningitis, he's getting an HPV, and he's getting a T-dap. Any questions?"
As a nurse, Melissa Cruz says people often get bad information from the internet about the vaccine.
She and her husband urge parents to talk to a trusted source, their pediatrician.