A fight for life - the Internet in action

This story/post is new ground for Champoli but I believe it falls in the category of positive media.  If we can help save a life through this website then I would think it falls within our mission statement.  Please tell me otherwise through the feedback link at the bottom of the page.

TechCrunch highlighted a breaking story this afternoon - RocketBoom Founder Fighting For Father’s Life.

RocketBoom founder Andrew Baron’s father, Frederick Baron, is dying of multiple myeloma, a particularly nasty form of cancer. Last week doctors gave him days to live - as of this morning he’s still fighting.

According to a blog post by Andrew, the family was preparing for the worst. And then a possible miracle cure: one of Frederick’s doctors discovered last week that a multiple sclerosis drug called Tysabri, produced by Biogen Idec, may cure the cancer.

The drug was not FDA approved for treating multiple myeloma, but Baron’s father has friends in the right places - Lance Armstrong, President Bill Clinton, Senator John Kerry, Senator Tom Harkin and Senator Ted Kennedy all personally requested that the FDA approve the use. FDA head Andrew von Eschenbach ok’d it, and the drug was moved to Baron’s hospital.

But then things get crazy. The CEO of Biogen Idec, James Mullen, has apparently refused to approve the experimental use of the drug for Baron, despite personal telephone calls from all of the individuals above.

Andrew Baron is aggressively pursing Biogen to get permission and a release of the drug and is clearly fighting the clock.  This is a story of a possible cure and the potential use of media and the Internet for good in rallying support for a dying man.

To find out more read an Open Letter to James C. Mullen, CEO of Biogen from Andrew Baron.

Individuals can help by doing the following:

1. Call Mr. Mullen or anyone at Biogen and ask them to please say yes (or provide a justification for whynot). Speak with anyone in the company in any department that you can find: http://www.biogenidec.com/site/contact.html

2. Contact an elected official and plea with them to call Biogen to seek approval:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

I look forward to a succesful outcome to this story.

LiveStrong Winner - meet Zach

Enjoy this video and story of a true everyday hero.   Zach is the winner of the recent Lance Armstrong livestrong contest “Dare to”.

While battling cancer Zach ran six road races, completed eight triathlons, one duathlon, and one century bike ride.

More information about Zach and the new livestrong.com site can be found at http://www.livestrong.com

Survival rates improve for Kids with Blood Cancers

In the United States, 5- and 10-year survival rates continue to improve for children younger than age 15 diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia, or non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), says a new study.

Advances in treatment for these diseases have led to increased long-term survival for patients. But most population-based studies include survival data from patients diagnosed in the mid 1990s or before and, therefore, may not reflect current outcomes, according to background information in the study.

In order to assess current trends, researchers compared 5- and 10-year survival estimates for patients diagnosed in 1990-94, 1995-99, and 2000-04, and also developed methods to predict survival in patients diagnosed in 2005-09.

The researchers found that from 1990-94 and 2000-04, 5- and 10-year survival increased from: 80.2 percent to 87.5 percent and from 73.4 percent to 83.8 percent, respectively, for patients with ALL; from 41.9 percent to 59.9 percent and from 38.7 percent to 59.1 percent, respectively, for patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia; and from 76.6 percent to 87.7 percent and from 73.0 percent to 86.9 percent, respectively, for patients with NHL.

For children diagnosed in 2005, the estimated 10-year survival rate was 88.0 percent for ALL patients, 63.9 percent for patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia, and 90.6 percent for NHL patients.

“Our period analysis revealed that survival after diagnosis with childhood hematologic malignancies has improved greatly over the past decade,” the study authors concluded. “Improvements in survival in childhood hematologic malignancies are most likely attributable to changes in how these diseases are treated.”

The study was published in the Sept. 9 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Source: NLM

Stand up to Cancer raises $100M

In an unusual merging of the usually competitive three major television networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – the Friday night “Stand Up To Cancer” (SU2C) telethon raised more than $100 million for cancer research.  The figure included money raised from viewers since the campaign officially began, on May 28, 2008.

According to ABC’s website the telethon reached an estimated 170 countries and territories and was the most-watched show on broadcast television according to Nielsen Media Research.

A spectacular line up of talent including Jennifer Aniston, James Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, David Cook, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Charles Barkley, America Ferrera, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Forrest Whitaker, Jimmy Fallon, Keanu Reeves made personal appearances on the show.

SU2C funds will support research projects conducted by interdisciplinary, multi-institutional translational and clinical research “Dream Teams” and high-risk Innovative Research Grants from which ideas for new Dream Teams may arise. The funds will be administered through the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the largest scientific organization in the world focusing on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research.

The Entertainment Industry Foundation is a charitable organization whose head, Lisa Paulsen, vowed that 100 percent of the money would go directly to fund research.

Cancer, the uncontrolled growth of diseased cells, spreads through the body invading healthy organs. The newly discovered map of genetic mutations behind some of the most aggressive cancers – glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer – are offering hope for new diagnostic tests and better treatments.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the country after heart disease, and The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,437,180 new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year alone.   More than 500,000 in the U.S. die from cancer which takes more than six million worldwide each year.

The Reader’s Digest Foundation to Donate $100,000 to CancerCare

The Reader’s Digest Foundation will donate $100,000 to CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that offers free, professional support services to anyone whose life is touched by cancer: people with cancer, caregivers, children, loved ones and the bereaved. Its programs include counseling, education and financial assistance. The Foundation’s grant will go towards CancerCare’s financial assistance program, which helps cancer patients and their families pay their bills.

This grant, the sixth in the Foundation’s $1 million Make it Matter program, was inspired by the heartwarming story of Michelle Morey, a Minnesota mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37. Fortunately, she had her own business, a comfortable income and a supportive family and, as a result, was able to focus all her attention on getting better, rather than worrying about paying her bills. She discovered that many of her fellow patients didn’t have the resources she had and, because of the colossal medical expenses they faced, were having trouble heating their homes and buying food.

Michelle and her husband began making monthly donations of $500 to patients in financial need at the clinic where Michelle was treated. She soon created the Pay It Forward Fund, which now serves patients at three Minneapolis-area hospitals. The fund provides up to $1,500 a year to dozens of women, identified by the nursing staffs, with breast, uterine, cervical or ovarian cancer who need financial help. The grants are made with one request: that recipients find a way to pay the fund’s generosity forward through acts of kindness toward others fighting cancer. In just two years, the fund has raised more than $250,000 and has assisted nearly 150 women.

“Fighting cancer is hard enough without also having to fight to keep your lights on and make your mortgage payments,” said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader’s Digest Foundation. “We’re very gratified that CancerCare recognizes this and assists people with cancer who need financial support, and we’re very glad to help them in this critical work.”

“We are so grateful to the Reader’s Digest Foundation for helping us assist people as they face the biggest crisis of their lives,” said Diane Blum, Executive Director of CancerCare. “This support will make a profound difference in the daily lives of people facing the emotional and financial challenges of a cancer diagnosis.”

Reader’s Digest magazine is lending its support to the Foundation’s program by highlighting the stories of selected individuals in its monthly “Make it Matter”column. Many of the submissions, including those that do not lead to a grant, will be featured on http://www.readersdigest.com.

Submissions for Make it Matter will be accepted by the Foundation on a rolling basis throughout 2008.

Source: CSR Wire

Young boy plays baseball despite cancer

Inspirational stories and people can be found in towns and cities around the globe.  One particular young man of note is Hudson Davis of Lafayette, CA.

The Contra Costa Times provided an in-depth article chronicling Hudson’s efforts that one would find truly inspirational.

The 12-year-old from Lafayette is nearing the completion of a Little League season in which he helped pitch and hit his team to first place and was named to his league’s all-star squad. That would be a distinguished achievement for any youngster.

What’s especially remarkable about Hudson is that he did all that while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments for a malignant brain tumor discovered long before his season started.

Nothing was going to stop Hudson from playing baseball.  His persistence inspired his parents, coaches, friends, teammates and even Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

For Hudson, the motivation was simple.  He wanted to play baseball.

“The only time you saw a smile on the kid’s face was when he was on the baseball field,” said Greg Davis, Hudson’s father.  “It was the only time he could really escape all the things that were happening to him.  He’s been through hell and back with all the stuff he’s been through.  But playing baseball definitely helped him get through it.”

The best news is that the tumor is gone, and that Hudson had his final radiation treatment on Wednesday. He will continue long-term care for the foreseeable future, but the worst appears to be over and his prognosis for survival is excellent.

Read the entire Contra Costa Times article here.

Near the beginning of his treatment Hudson was befriended by Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies.  Jimmy Rollins was named Major League Baseball’s National League MVP of 2007.  Jimmy dedicated his first homerun of the 2008 season to Hudson.

On May 11, with the Phillies visiting San Francisco to play the Giants, Jimmy invited Hudson down onto the field during batting practice so they could meet and talk face-to-face for the first time.  Jimmy has been a real inspiration for Hudson.

hudson

Sources: contracostatimes.com, abeldogs.com

« Previous Page