I should be happy this morning.
After our Team Captains’ meeting results are posted, the Greater Fall River Relay for Life will have raised more than $45,000 so far. That is more than double what we had a year ago at this point. The 85 teams registered online and the 815 participants also are significantly better than we had this time last year. Our ACS rep told me the other night that only one Relay in New England has a larger percentage increase at this point in the year.
Our Walking with Jane Relay team is within $200 of what we raised total last year, with two major events scheduled for between now and Relay.
Dana-Farber has launched the Program in Neuroendocrine and Carcinoid Tumors. They have also launched a website to go with it. The staff of 18 people committed to that program shows a substantial push by DFCI to unravel this cancer.
Walking with Jane has developed a strong reputation in the world of cancer research and education over the last year: people know who we are–and like who we are and what we are trying to do.
Daily progress is being made against cancer in general–and neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoid syndrome in particular.
The result of that progress will be more people celebrating more birthdays and anniversaries and holidays. It will mean more dinners together and more graduations and more weddings attended. It will mean more shopping trips and more yard work–and more of the thousands of everyday activities that make up a life.
It will mean less suffering for millions of patients, caregivers, and loved ones.
But none of it will bring back that young man who died last week. None of it will fill the empty place at that mother’s table.
None of it will bring back the woman who died a week after Jane.
None of it will bring back my wife.
For them, the breakthroughs will have come too late. Their battles may have helped inspire others to carry the fight forward, but they will never benefit from any of it. The research that was not funded for 40 years–that prevented us learning the things we are learning now–sealed their fates.
People tell me constantly that Jane would be proud of what I have done since her death. But I would rather she were ashamed of me–hated me–had never met me–if it would mean that she were still alive today–having been properly diagnosed when a simple surgery would have freed her from the cancer that killed her and given her the long and fruitful life she so deserved.
I will never stop mourning the loss of my wife. Nor will I ever stop fighting this cancer–not so long as there is breath in this body to do so.
One day I will stand at her grave and tell her spirit, “This cancer is dead–and you helped kill it.”
But that day is not yet here–and will not get here without lots of help. We need you to get involved–right now.
