This free eBook is a set of well written, thought provoking, passionate, introspective, and sometimes moving short commentaries and ideas from more than seventy big thinkers. Each contributor to this ebook shares an idea for the reader to think about as we head into the new year. After reading a few pages of this eBook, I knew, this was a gift worth sharing. A gift to say thank you for following my blog. A gift that has the potential to lift and inspire you to be a little more creative, a little more compassionate and make all of our lives a little more fulfilling this coming new year. …I know, it’s a tall order from a small eBook, but I would encourage you to give it a quick read.
As you can tell from this post, I was quite inspired by this eBook. Even if only a small percentage of you download this eBook, open it, enjoy it, and find even an ounce of inspiration, the level of positive influence will be exciting.
Every once in while you hear a story that really makes you think. It makes you think how truly lucky you are to be in good health. It makes you think how truly petty some of your worries are. It makes you think about doing your part to help others. Following is one of those stories.
Recently, my friend Steve sent an e-mail asking his friends to sponsor him in a 5K run to support the National Lung Cancer Partnership. Always being one to help out a friend raise money for a worthy cause, I was more than willing to make a tax deductible donation. What I did not realize is that Steve and his family had been personally touched by this ugly disease. It’s turns out that Lung Cancer took his younger sister, Rebecca, a few years back. When I heard the story of Rebecca, I was floored. When I learned more about the realities of Lung Cancer in the US, I was shocked.
Here is Rebecca's story as told by my friend Steve…
In July of 2005 Rebecca was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer after going to see her doctor about a persistent cough. She was 24 years old at the time, recently married and just starting her career as a librarian running a reading program for children. Like 10-15% of lung cancer patients, Rebecca was a non-smoker. She faced her illness and cancer treatments with great courage and always retained her optimism that the experimental treatments would lead to her recovery. But Stage IV lung cancer is extremely difficult to treat, having a mere 2% five-year survival rate, and Rebecca succumbed to the disease on September 27, 2005 just months after her initial diagnosis.
Dr. Joan Schiller, President of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, was Rebecca's doctor and treated her and our entire family with great compassion throughout the treatments and in the months following her death. For this reason we are especially committed to do what we can to support this charity event.
The National Lung Cancer Partnership (formerly Women Against Lung Cancer) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, originally formed in 2001, and officially incorporated in 2003. Our mission is to decrease deaths due to lung cancer, and help patients live longer and better, through research, awareness, and advocacy. We will accomplish the above mission by:
Raising awareness of the deadly impact of lung cancer, particularly upon women
Increasing funding for lung cancer research
Supporting and promoting research into sex differences in lung cancer
Encouraging professionals to enter into and be successful in lung cancer research, treatment and care
Educating and empowering patients to actively participate in their treatment and care
The National Lung Cancer Partnership is a group of leading doctors, researchers, patient advocates, and lung cancer survivors dedicated to raising public awareness of the disease and generating funding for lung cancer research.
The proceeds from the Free to Breathe® events will help fund the National Lung Cancer Partnership's research, education, and awareness programs.
Lung Cancer Facts
Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of American men and women; it kills more people than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers COMBINED.
Lung cancer kills almost twice as many American women as breast cancer annually.
1 in 13 men and 1 in 16 women will get lung cancer in their lifetimes.
