Celebrated across the United States on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is not just a holiday, it is a time for family; a time for reflection and gratitude; a moment to take stock of what we have. As all of us prepare to either travel back home or to receive our family members in our homes, we are reminded that the most valuable thing we have is each other.
At my home as in many homes, it is a tradition to go around the Thanksgiving dinner table sharing what we are thankful for. For me, I am thankful for this most extraordinary journey which has brought each and every one of you into my life. On this holiday, I am most grateful as I think of you, my friends, my partners, my worldwide family.
On behalf of the team at The Max Foundation, we would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for your support and your commitment. You are our inspiration and together we will continue our joint efforts to ensure that any person who has to face cancer can do it with dignity and with hope, no matter where they live.
I would like to wish everyone a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving. May your home be filled with love and laughter, today and always.
Pat
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.
For many people facing cancer, the “last mile” in treatment access is a long, expensive, and recurring journey. But in Constantine’s case, even this journey may not be enough. The distance itself is not so far but the journey is long – 8 hours by public buses and transport. Constantine, like so many others around the world, has a rare form of leukemia called CML (chronic myeloid leukemia).
When he was initially diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, Prashant’s first concerns weren’t whether he would be able to afford treatment, it was about how much time he had left…years? Months? Would he be able to complete his degree? Would he be able to care for his father?
But his doctor reassured him. Treatment was available, and before he could worry about the cost of it, Prashant was connected with The Max Foundation and worked on getting enrolled in the access program we administer.
The story of Kankou, a 37-year-old mother and cancer survivor from Senegal, who makes a recurring, 450km, “last mile” journey to access cancer medication donated through The Max Foundation.
