Two events are coming up soon that are worth learning about and, if it’s right for you, participating in. One will just take your vote. Another, a small donation. One will go a long way toward helping people suffering right now. One may help prevent the people you know and love from having to take the same journey we’re on right now.
Coming up in November’s election is a bill to create a fund of $300 billion (that’s BILLION, with a ‘B’) specifically allotted to cancer research. The goal is to throw enough money at the problem – $10 billion a year – to breath life into all those research projects that have been sidelined due to lack of funding. According to statistics that I just made up, nearly 7 out of 10 cancer research projects are not funded or are under-funded. You know, the ones where they research the effect of whale slobber on cancer cells. Or where they research if studying too much really does cause brain cancer.
But seriously, vote your own conscious but I certainly would not be responsibly using my little podium on the Internet if I didn’t pass this info on. It’s a big deal and will, no matter if a cure is found or not, make a tremendous difference. And, since it’s a bond issuance, there won’t be any new taxes (although the blasted* politicians keep trying to attach taxes and other crap to the bill.)
* My initial descriptive word choice was filtered for family viewing.
It will be on the ballet in the November 6th election. Here’s the web site for more information: http://texanstocurecancer.com/
On another cancer-related cause note, Nurse Jolie, who has been a wonderfully supportive friend and key resource for us as we’ve traveled this journey, is riding in the Livestrong Challenge from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. PLEASE consider helping her meet her fundraising goal for this event. Obviously, since it is the Lance Armstrong Foundation, I have great confidence that all the money will go to good use. You can donate here: http://austin07.livestrong.org/jolie
Thank you all, again, for your well wishes. Amazingly enough, even as we sit at this crossroads, we are both amazingly calm. We are excited about the future, no matter what it may bring. But don’t think for a second that it’s off my mind.
I am sure many people have told you about this already but since it is my line of work I want to pass on to you a website run by the FDA called clinicaltrials.gov This website lists all clinical trials for all indications going on all over the country. It is way too soon for you to get involved in this since your current options are varied but just something for a little more info on what’s out there.
I just want to emphasize Chris’ call for people to vote on the cancer research fund. I was working in the legislature when the bill putting the fund on ballot was past. This is an amazing opportunity both for people, like Maggie, who are struggling with cancer and for the State of Texas. This fund is HUGE it would easily make Texas the leader in cancer research in the US if not the world, and would bring together great minds from across the globe to into one compact (if you can call Texas compact) area to pursue a plethora of research projects. You know what they say about 2 heads being better than one well imagine the possible of have several hundred of the smartest heads on the planet all in one place all working on finding a cure for cancer. That is what this fund will do. For any of the folks out there adverse to the state spending any kind of money much of the fund will come from federal matching, meaning we get money collected in other states to spend here in Texas, and the projections indicate that more money is likely to be generated by this research than will be spent on it. SO, the bottom line is vote YES on the creation of the cancer research fund.
I absolutely agree, Monty! If I have learned one thing (and I truly have learned hundreds if not thousands of “things” about cancer since this sojourn began), it is that cancer touches all of us sooner or later.
As soon as my family’s battle with cancer became known around my business, my colleagues came in a steady stream to tell me of _their_ family’s battles.
Finding a cure for cancer is _everyone’s_ responsibility!
Those who have not needed to be passionate about it yet will, probably and unfortunately, become so sooner or later!