October 19th is Max’s Day. We honor the day because it marks Max’s birthday. At the very same time, we honor all the people who have been helped in his name.
Max’s name has become a symbol of hope around the world through the work of The Max Foundation. And beneath it, lifting it higher and higher for all to see, are more than 70 team members and countless advocates across different sectors all working together to expand treatment access for people facing cancer. You all choose to wake up every day and honor Max’s name and build his legacy. For that, I am forever grateful.
At The Max Foundation, we often say, “Access to treatment is access to life.” They are words we live by and make manifest through our extensive network of partner healthcare providers and a Humanitarian PACT among our corporate partners: key pieces of a treatment access model that delivers medicine to people who need it, just like Max needed.
Throughout October, we are asking ourselves and our friends around the world to consider what access to treatment means for each of us. So, as we embrace Max’s Day with honor and reflection, I ask you to reflect on a simple question: what does treatment access mean to you?
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.
Meet Ashika! She’s been with The Max Foundation for almost 14 years, working as a program officer in India. Learn more about why she started with Max, what she enjoys about her job, and a special memory she had with a patient. When did you start with The Max Foundation, and why were you interested….
Our Guest Bloggers collaborating on this summit overview are members of The Max Foundation team based in India who led and participated in the Friends of Max 2015 Leadership Summit. They include Shilpi Sirohi Singh, Ashika Naik, Ameya Surve, and Priyanka Kandalgaokar.
In India, the word “Mela” means ‘gathering’ or ‘to meet’ or a ‘fair’. India is a land of fairs and festivals – every month there are festivals held throughout the different regions of India.
In Guatemala, there are 14,200 new cases of cancer a year and from this amount 9,100 people die of cancer or 64.7%. Most of these diagnoses could have been prevented or better treated if diagnosed early. In Guatemala only the persons who have access to the national social security plan have free services and treatment, but poor quality and lack of medications or in most occasions. People who do not have social security have to pay for health services and for medications. As per statistics taken from Globocan 2008, the most common cancers in Guatemala are prostate, cervix, stomach, breast and lung cancers.
