Light a Candle on March 9th to Honor Max

March 9th marks a somber anniversary; the day Max lost his 3 year battle with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). For those of us who love Max, who either knew him then or who know and love him now, this will always be a day of sorrow. The words that come to mind are words such as ugly, unfair, impossible, and the feeling is one of emptiness; a whole in one’s heart. Max was a real person, a beautiful young child, whose encounter with cancer was nothing but a tragic episode.

Celebrating our Max Global Network Partners!

Each year I am humbled by the extraordinary work and dedication of our 68 Max Global Network partners, hailing from over 50 countries around the world, that tirelessly dedicate their...

Stories of Survival in Africa

Thousands of patients are diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) annually around the world. CML, like any other cancer, does not discriminate. It affects people from all regions and walks of life. However, unlike many other cancers, CML has an amazing story due to advancements made in its treatment in the last decade. It was only 15 years ago that a patient newly diagnosed with CML would have a prognosis of survival of less than 5 years with the treatments available at the time.

Sharing My Story for World Cancer Day

“CANCER” what comes to your mind as you read this six letter word? The five W’s, who, what, when, where and why comes to our head. In my life, who? Was my father, when? 2004, where? In his blood and why? The million dollar question whose answer we are still searching for.

Can a Blood Test be an Incentive for Education?

For many patients, there aren’t many opportunities for them to learn about their disease directly from experts. So when the opportunity to hear from a hematologist at Naresuan University Hospital in Thailand, we were excited to maximize the event.

Of Gratitude and Community

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.

The GIPAP Program Detailed in the ASCO Journal of Global Oncology

Last week ASCO launched the inaugural issue of the Journal of Global Oncology. This new open access, online journal focuses exclusively on cancer research, treatment, and the delivery of care in middle and low resource countries. Among the first seven articles, published on September 23rd, are original research, commentaries, and review articles, including a special article looking at the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP), authored by our CEO Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, MS, and others.

Congratulations to the 2015 Maximize Life Essay Contest Winners!

Have you visited the 2015 Maximize Life Essay Contest webpage recently? The Max Foundation is honored to share that the 2015 Maximize Life Essay Contest winners are officially released! Three winners in total, one for each of the French, English and Spanish categories, were selected by a panel of highly esteemed judges within the global health community. You may view the complete panel of judges here. We are exceedingly grateful for the valuable time and input provided by each of the judges. With 71 meaningful and authentic personal stories submitted, it was no small task to select only one winner for each language category!

Rising Sun, Part 2: Not Just Another Love Story

People, by nature, are not perfect and sometimes we forget how to love each other well. The dinner at the Rising Sun 2015 meeting prepared by MaxSmiles Thailand, was a reminder to me. Admittedly, I attended the dinner with the intention of eating as much Thai food as I could. Wirat, Thailand Senior MaxStation, reassured me that I would not be disappointed that night. He was totally right; who would’ve thought the dinner would feed my soul.

Rising Sun 2015 Expands the Capacity of Patient Advocates Throughout Asia Pacific

More than 45 patient advocates came together for the 2015 Rising Sun meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on October 9-11. Rising Sun, the Asia Pacific regional event, is an initiative driven by The Max Foundation in partnership with local patient groups that aims to enhance the capacity of patient-advocate leaders, increase the well-being of patient communities, and raise disease awareness through learning and sharing opportunities.

The Maximize Life Campaign: A Variety of Events but a Shared Message in Latin America

In Latin America, the Maximize Life Campaign has become something like a tradition – a time when each patient organization creates an event or activity of their choice and powers it up for a campaign that takes on a life of its own! 13 patient groups from 11 Latin American countries joined this year's movement, bringing together patients and caregivers with the purpose of telling the community that cancer is an issue, that ignoring it is not going to make it go away, and that the best approach is to learn about it in order to know what to do about it. From governments to the general public, everybody can get involved in figuring out how to treat cancer patients as members of society and not as a burden.

The Maximize Life Campaign: South Asia Embraces the Spirit of Max

The Indian subcontinent has always been characterized by the stoic inner strength of its population that has helped them overcome natural and man-made disasters that seem to always be lying in wait for them. Burdened by their large populations, poor economy and the inept administration of their largely unstable governments, it has fallen upon the people to come to their own rescue. And it is not so different for their health either. Besides the share of debilitating infectious diseases, many are facing a rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. The challenges here go beyond funding. There is fear, denial, and the heavy burden of stigma.