Cancer sucks. Having it sucks worse.

I recently lost a friend I had only recently met. A man I wish I'd known better, and longer. His name was David. He was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois--a very well respected authority on nutrition. He succumbed to Pancreatic Cancer less than two years after being diagnosed. 

Pancreatic Cancer is rarely survivable--the average lifespan after diagnosis is 5 years. Obviously that means some live longer but far too many die sooner. It is the 4th leading cause of death by cancer although it it one of the least diagnosed. To give some perspective--breast cancer is diagnosed on average, per year, at around 190,000 cases. Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed, per year, at around 40,000 cases. Yet both are within a few thousand of each other in the number of deaths per year. It's also one of the least funded types of cancer research.

Bottom line, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is like being handed a death sentence--to most. It's rare but deadly. Only recently has it been getting attention, due to celebrity cases like Patrick Swayze, Ruth Ginsburg, Steve Jobs, and more. But it affects so many more who aren't 'famous'--like my friend David.

He's just one guy who died way too soon from a disease little understood and hardly attended to in scale compared to other cancer types. 

We can do better. David shouldn't have died so soon, and so young.

I want you to remember David. For who he was, why he died, and how he fought. He was here. He did 'good' in his life and worked hard to help others. He built a family and a career. He did good for the community. He catapulted many a talented student to success by his mentoring and care. Proof: His grad students all came back and held a recognition party for him weeks before he passed. As I said, I didn't know him long enough or well enough, although I wish I had. But in speaking to him on the phone, and emailing back and forth, I knew he was like so many others on this journey--a good person, a man of hope and dreams, fighting heroically yet to live.

I emailed David right before Thanksgiving to see how his last doctor visit went. He replied only days before his passing to tell me that he was going on hospice and had little expectations on getting to 2010. I took it for granted that he was holding on well enough, given his email style and words. I was stunned to find out only days after that he had lost his battle.

He left us too soon. As do all diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. 

Pancreatic Cancer is a thief. An insidious disease that takes people in their prime and robs them of time to fight for life.

This holiday season, if you're thinking of a cause to donate to--to give back some of the blessings you've received, please consider giving to http://www.pancan.org/section_donate/donate_now.php

David would thank you.

In his memory, I thank you.

Stephen

Posted via email from stephenspeaks's posterous