March 9 marks the devastating anniversary of the day my stepson Max died after a three-year battle with cancer. Max was 17 years old. I have dedicated most of the last 34 years to galvanizing the global community to help families avoid the suffering of the premature loss of their loved one. In the process, a thriving global network of people helping people emerged as a beacon of hope and light. The work we do at The Max Foundation elevates the common humanity and interconnectedness among all of us, no matter where we live. We are one, we long for the same, we need each other.
This year, March 9 finds us navigating difficult times yet unwilling to accept a global current that wants to convince us to focus on ourselves and ignore those most vulnerable among us.
While trying to find my footing, a news article published recently resonated with me and reminded me that our capacity to act with humanity is still intact. Today my feelings can be summarized in one short message: this is not the time to be a goldfish. I invite you to read my editorial, published in Devex, and share widely.
Pat Garcia-Gonzalez is the CEO of The Max Foundation. Under Pat’s direction The Max Foundation is dedicated to accelerating health equity by delivering medication, technology, and services to patients facing cancer and other critical illnesses, focusing our energy on those who no one else is helping. Pat lives in Edmonds, Washington, where she raised her four sons.
On November 1, 2019, the first shipment of treatment arrived at the hospital in Maputo, Mozambique. This is the first country Max Access Solutions, The Max Foundation’s patient-centered access model, has expanded into without a former access program in place.
In an effort to strengthen health outcomes for patients in low resource settings, The Max Foundation and its subsidiary, MaxAid, have signed Collaboration Agreements with 140 individual hematologists and oncologists from leading National Cancer Institutes and clinics in 60 low and middle income countries. With the formal establishment of this network, The Max Foundation completes its validated supply chain into each of the countries, providing a safe environment through which to channel humanitarian donations of cancer treatment with end-to-end controls.
The Max Foundation is thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael J. Wagner to our Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) Medical Advisory Board. Since we met Dr. Wagner in early 2020 at a GIST patient meeting in Seattle, he has provided our program with invaluable training and support. “Dr. Wagner has gone above and beyond in advising our….
