James Brennan was not sure how best to help when his father was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The feeling of helplessness grew up watching the declining health of his father, despite getting the best care possible.
So Brennan ran. And ran some more. And continues to run.
"I now feel like I am doing something useful to help," said Brennan, a financial analyst in Alexandria, Virginia. "Everybody contributes in a different way. Each has different strengths. I found my platform. "
Brennan joined with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to direct the funds Endurance Events collection efforts, one of many local examples of how families and friends of mesothelioma victims are mobilized to help the cause of research.
Brennan teamed Cure Meso, which includes nearly 20 runners and cyclists who are accustomed to endurance events across the country, raising money to help fund research on the very important mesothelioma.
Endurance race can vary from 31 to 100 miles and can make traditional marathons like a breeze. bike races are 400 miles and beyond.
Brennan ran three races of 100 miles over the past two years. His best time was 17 hours in a grueling race, one in which it took over a week for him to recover physically. His last event was in Utah at the end of July when they ran a race of 31 miles at altitudes up to 12,000 feet above the level of the sea.
"It is just something I really enjoyed doing, "Brennan said by phone before the Utah race." You are using now with a real incentive. Money for research is so important. Some people help patients better emotionally or physically or in an advocacy role. It was a way for me to be involved and to help fight this disease. Research is essential. "
Trying to understand the
mesotheliomaThe purpose of the research is unraveling the complexities of a complex disease. It is crucial to make advances, discovering new drugs, develop better treatments, making the diagnosis early. It is also a difficult task with a rare but deadly cancer.
There is little incentive for pharmaceutical companies to focus research dollars on illness key so little in comparison. Government agencies such as the National mesothelioma cancer research institute often put away in its list of priorities, leaving the research funding for nonprofits as MARF, which has resources limited.
Brennan expects the Cure Meso team to raise at least $ 30,000 this year for the Foundation, which has awarded research grants totaling $ 7.6 million since the program's inception in 00.
the foundation became the best known independent source of funding for new research on mesothelioma, key in the ongoing search for better therapies and a potential cure.
Mesothelioma, which is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos, usually comes with a poor prognosis. Although significant progress has been made, progress is too slow. An estimated 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States.
"You can finance a small grant for as little as $ 50,000 could make a breakthrough in the search for mesothelioma," Brennan said. "I consider the feat. It is quite amazing what you can do. My father likes the idea of leaving this legacy genre. "
Brennan is just one of many people who jumped into the cause of helping fundraising for mesothelioma. And the race is just one of the myriad of activities that are used to facilitate effort.
Hiking, Runs and auctions for mesothelioma
proponents use any casino evenings golf tournaments to raise money. the Meso Pacific Center conducts Wine Auctions and short mesothelioma walks. volunteers use any black tie dinners fancy for a tour of roasted hot dog fire.
"There are many large research projects in the pipeline right now? ? real potential to make advances, eventually a cure ?? and it is exciting, "said Clare Cameron, executive director of the Pacific Meso Center. "But they need to be financed. And that means raising money. It is so important to us all."
The Meso Pacific Center focuses on prevention and treatment of mesothelioma. He is proud of the exploration of innovative ideas in its research program.
In 2011, he opened the first free position, international laboratory mesothelioma research in the world, regardless of the limitations often imposed by academic and private medical institutions. Progress, however, is generally limited by the amount of money can be raised.
The Meso Pacific Center hosted a handful of restaurants in the Los Angeles area one day each year donate product to mesothelioma. It has a casino night that raised $ 60,000 in one evening for the search. Supporters that night came from as far away as Colorado.
"Mesothelioma is a little different in terms of fundraising. It is a little more difficult. If a boy has leukemia, and tell you his story, people are starting to take their immediately checkbooks to donate, "said Cameron, who has worked at the leukemia Society." people are not always the same sympathy for the elderly with mesothelioma. It just makes you work harder "
Trivia Nights and letter-writing
MARF also puts a priority for its community fundraising efforts. Volunteers like Shelly Kozicki in Missouri and Erica Ruble in South Florida have worked tirelessly for the cause for many years.
Kozicki lost her husband to mesothelioma in 09 after a battle 11 years. In 07, she began to Craig Kozicki research grant after raising $ 100,000 for research. She recently funded one second $ 100,000 grant in his name, to organizing grass roots trivia nights, golf tournaments, quarter-mania nights, letter writing campaigns and various other events.
Ruble watched his father die from mesothelioma in 08 and became inspired by what was Kozicki. Ruble began his own letter campaign. Over the past three years, she organized poker tournaments, tournaments roller hockey, triathlon, even garage sales in South Florida to fund research of mesothelioma, surpassing the $ 0,000 plateau to create Lance S . Ruble research grant.
The two of them often talk to mesothelioma families about starting fundraising efforts. There are dozens who followed their lead, or helped their side.
Larry Davis mesothelioma patients, for example, helped organize a Miles For Meso road race in South Florida that raised more than $ 70,000 in three years. It was one of several similar events held in different regions of the country.
Davis, a runner for life, died in 2012, just four months after leaving the hospital to attend his last race, but not before an example that many others followed.
"There is a lot of paperwork that doctors and researchers need to spend to get funding," said Ruble. "But this is a close-knit community once you find and get involved. When you raise money, you can see exactly where it goes and what it does. And what is important for us all."
Have you raised funds for research on mesothelioma? Looking for ways? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.
