I need you all to visit Max Mikulak’s and Philip Wilson’s websites.
http://www.mikulak.blogspot.com/
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/philipsworld
Max I’ve never met, but I know his dad and have followed their story closely for some time now. Max is an amazing child who has been fighting Neuroblastoma for more than three years. His parents, Andy and Melissa, have been relentless in seeking new therapies and help found “The MagicWater Project”. They have never ever given up.
Philip I know well. We spent tons of time together at the Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan. Philip has been battling rhabdomyosarcoma for over 3 years. His parents, Richard and Jill, have spent 100% of their time with Philip for over 3 years with non-stop treatment – spending most of their time in Manhattan, far from home. I have great memories of seeing and talking to all of them in the elevators, kitchens, patios, etc at “The Ronald”. The doctors told them to give up a long time ago, but they didn’t, and manage to get Philip back into remission not once, but twice. They have never ever given up.
Sadly, for many reasons, we don’t have the therapies required to save these kids. How can this be? I’m mad – you should be mad. How many beautiful kids will it take before more is done! I don’t really want to hear about the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act as a response to what is being done – it’s not nearly enough and will probably be granted out to a bunch more studies that don’t make sense (I’m sure some good will come of it, but not enough).
Please visit the kids websites above and leave their parents a short note. What these families are going through is UNIMAGINABLE.
Are you mad yet – you should be. We can’t continue to lose kids like this. Do you want to help? We’ll, we will be having a fundraiser in October for MagicWater. I don’t want to let much out of the bag yet, but we’ll need volunteers and participants in Orange County (CA), but if we have some good numbers, could be in multiple locations. If you really want to help, then email me at pbrunskow@gmail.com and you will get something to do (you could hold your own fundraiser, participate in another, help with web development (which is desperately in need along with a graphic artist)). There are promising drugs that are not being researched because they are OLD – past their patent, and no drug company is going to pay for research for a drug that won’t make them money, especially for a pediatric population. This is what makes me so mad; great drugs exist but need funding to test them against these pediatric cancers! Lets take some action – only funding and determined parents are going to increase the velocity to better options!
Nina and I always have our moments, and we will forever, but when more beautiful kids are taken, it’s so much more difficult. What is happening is just so sad.
