You may have read the report this week that cancer deaths in the US decreased for the second straight year. How marvelous that is! And a real testament to patients taking charge of their healthcare decisions ….
The biggest drop in death rates was for colorectal cancer. Much of the credit for that drop is given to Katie Couric because of her campaign — her personal investment — in making sure people get screened. Her campaign was in response to the loss of her husband to colorectal cancer, a tragic loss which she turned around to be a huge “win” for the general public.
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of Katie Courics out here. We have suffered as a result of the “system” — or from a disease or condition, or our children or other loved ones have. We have taken our horrible experiences and turned them into something positive for others. We have different names, we come from different places, we are different genders, ages, races and cultures, but the bottom line is — we didn’t let our horrible experiences get in the way.
Instead we have produced lemonade. We are advocates, hand-holders, advisors, caretakers. For many of us, our work is our catharsis which resulted from our bad experiences. For some, like me, it’s a spiritual calling. Everything happens for a reason, I believe.
Thanks, Katie. We aspire to achieve a fraction of the impact on Americans and healthcare that you have created. Bless you for your leadership.