Investing in People
My life really has been quite an odyssey. I looked up the definition of odyssey recently: "a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc."
My lung cancer experience was one of those hardships I guess. But more importantly, it totally changed the way I looked at everything; my family, my friends, my work, my future... When you are told you have a life threatening illness like cancer, you become vulnerable. But you also gain an inner strength to not only fight the disease, but do something! I wanted to help other cancer patients get information to make informed decisions about their treatment options. I was lucky, I lived in Boston, and had access to great care at Massachusetts General Hospital. But being from Minnesota, where many of my relatives lived in rural areas, I wanted them to have the same benefit. So I became an advocate for patient education, and started to learn about cancer research. And now I raise funds to support important cancer research.
So, what is "cancer research"? Such an imposing concept. As a non-scientist, and thinking back to when I was told I have cancer, I would have said it was big institutions, like government, universities and hospitals searching for cure. But I'd like to offer you a new way of thinking about cancer research. I had an epiphany last year when I met Jim Basilion, a cancer research scientist at Case Western Reserve University. I was there when he taped this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPjdSBc5cW4
When I spoke with him, and he described his work, I was so impressed by his sincerity and passion about his research - exploring new advanced molecular imaging technology to improve surgical margins, to reduce the number of breast cancer patients who would have to return for resection. This was an epiphany for me. Here I was talking to this scientist, and he was such a nice guy, and really cared about the people that wanted to help. It was then that I understood what I was supporting as a development officer at NFCR. It wasn't just the institution. It was Jim Basilion. It was about investing in people!
Yes Jim works at Case Western. But I am supporting him, not just the place he works. Similarly, I have personally met Curt Civin, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who previously spent 26 years at Johns Hopkins. He is actually from Boxford, near my home in Georgetown, MA. He is also a very genuine, passionate, super nice man who happens to be brilliant!!
And Laurence Cooper at MD Anderson in Houston, and Alice Shaw, Daniel Haber, and Rakesh Jain, all from Mass. General Hospital in Boston...all brilliant, all passionate, all dedicated scientists from around the country. I could go on and on...
So, my odyssey includes investing in my relationships - my family, my amazing wife Missi, my awesome boys, Chris, Mike and Pat...my friends too many to name...And in my work, investing in relationships with donors, strategic partners, collaborators, colleagues...and of course the scientists that are passionately working to find a cure for cancer. Investing in people.
My lung cancer experience was one of those hardships I guess. But more importantly, it totally changed the way I looked at everything; my family, my friends, my work, my future... When you are told you have a life threatening illness like cancer, you become vulnerable. But you also gain an inner strength to not only fight the disease, but do something! I wanted to help other cancer patients get information to make informed decisions about their treatment options. I was lucky, I lived in Boston, and had access to great care at Massachusetts General Hospital. But being from Minnesota, where many of my relatives lived in rural areas, I wanted them to have the same benefit. So I became an advocate for patient education, and started to learn about cancer research. And now I raise funds to support important cancer research.
So, what is "cancer research"? Such an imposing concept. As a non-scientist, and thinking back to when I was told I have cancer, I would have said it was big institutions, like government, universities and hospitals searching for cure. But I'd like to offer you a new way of thinking about cancer research. I had an epiphany last year when I met Jim Basilion, a cancer research scientist at Case Western Reserve University. I was there when he taped this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPjdSBc5cW4
When I spoke with him, and he described his work, I was so impressed by his sincerity and passion about his research - exploring new advanced molecular imaging technology to improve surgical margins, to reduce the number of breast cancer patients who would have to return for resection. This was an epiphany for me. Here I was talking to this scientist, and he was such a nice guy, and really cared about the people that wanted to help. It was then that I understood what I was supporting as a development officer at NFCR. It wasn't just the institution. It was Jim Basilion. It was about investing in people!
Yes Jim works at Case Western. But I am supporting him, not just the place he works. Similarly, I have personally met Curt Civin, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who previously spent 26 years at Johns Hopkins. He is actually from Boxford, near my home in Georgetown, MA. He is also a very genuine, passionate, super nice man who happens to be brilliant!!
And Laurence Cooper at MD Anderson in Houston, and Alice Shaw, Daniel Haber, and Rakesh Jain, all from Mass. General Hospital in Boston...all brilliant, all passionate, all dedicated scientists from around the country. I could go on and on...
So, my odyssey includes investing in my relationships - my family, my amazing wife Missi, my awesome boys, Chris, Mike and Pat...my friends too many to name...And in my work, investing in relationships with donors, strategic partners, collaborators, colleagues...and of course the scientists that are passionately working to find a cure for cancer. Investing in people.
