National Cancer Institute’s Center for Global Health Honors Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of The Max Foundation with the first National Cancer Institute Global Cancer Medicine Humanitarian Award
The Max Foundation is proud to announce CEO, Pat Garcia-Gonzalez as the recipient of the National Cancer Institute Global Cancer Medicine Humanitarian Award at the U.S. National Cancer Institute 3rd Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research held in Boston on 25 March 2015.
In the award letter from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dr. Edward L. Trimble, MD, MPH, Director of the NCI’s Center for Global Health writes about Pat: “Our global cancer community has been inspired by your outstanding contributions to advancing cancer care equity through The Max Foundation, and as recognition of that work, we would like to honor you.”
Dr. Trimble continues, “Not only have your efforts saved numerous lives, but, to paraphrase Donald Berwick, your contributions go beyond health metrics and health indicators— your contributions will allow mothers and fathers to attend graduations and weddings they would have missed, and grandchildren to know grandparents they might never have known, “and holidays will be taken, and work completed, and books read, and symphonies heard, and gardens tended that, without your work, would never have been.’”
In response to the award, Pat has said, “I am humbled, excited and honored by the recognition given to me thanks to NCI’s Center for Global Health. I see this moment as an opportunity to tell the world about the great collaborations that have made my work possible, as well as a chance to reinforce our collective responsibility around creating solutions to increase global access to treatment, care and support for people living with cancer around the world.”
This is the first Global Cancer Medicine Humanitarian Award to be given at the NCI’s Symposium.
The Max Foundation is a leading global health nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating health equity. For 27 years, Max has pioneered practical, scalable, high-quality solutions to bring life-extending treatments and patient-centered health care to more than 100,000 people living with cancer and critical illness in low- and middle-income countries. Max believes in a world where all people can access high-impact medicines, where geography is not destiny, and where everyone can strive for health with dignity and with hope.
I have never climbed a mountain before so one might ask why. The truth is that we have been in this life journey together, those we call patients and those we call advocates, for more than a decade; and the reality is that we are one, united by a deep bond of love, and together we will conquer Mt Kinabalu.
Join us this summer in Malaysia! In July 2017, a team of partners, cancer survivors, and friends like you will join us from the USA, Malaysia, and beyond to embark on an adventure with a common goal: raising funds to carry out our work supporting cancer patients in Malaysia.
Each of us had to dig deep within ourselves to summon the strength, courage, and determination to keep going, putting one foot in front of the other, until we reached base camp and then set out in the dark early hours of July23rd for the summit. But we were not alone – we shared a strong connection and solidarity among our team of 23 that in just a few short days grew close through our shared experience.
