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September 1, 2005
Tour of Hope
A few weeks ago when I blogged about the American Cancer Society's Blog for Hope I received an email from my good friend Joanne about one of her friends Christopher Millard who is participating in the Tour of Hope and I decided that I must blog about him.
Here's a little information on Christopher:
Christopher MillardChristopher Millard waited to see a doctor for more than a year after he discovered a lump on his shoulder. He is a well-educated biologist, and thought he knew what a cancerous tumor felt like. But when he finally had the lump looked at, he learned it was a high-grade sarcoma that required immediate and intense treatment.
Doctors told Christopher about a clinical trial and treatment for his cancer that showed a lot of promise. Christopher was taken aback by his cancer diagnosis and was further surprised to learn of the many clinical studies underway to treat it. “I wasn’t aware of how many clinical trials there were and that they were available for the general public,” he says. “I participated in one and it has made all the difference.”
Nevertheless, Christopher says he waited too long to see a doctor about the lump on his shoulder. His procrastination meant a longer and more involved treatment for a tumor that had grown from the size of a quarter to the size of a softball in the course of a year. As a member of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope™ Team, Christopher wants to encourage people to see their physicians immediately if they find a lump or experience any symptoms of cancer.
Christopher is very open about his cancer experience and takes the opportunity to promote early detection and the promise of cancer research. He welcomes questions from friends and acquaintances. “I always encourage folks to ask,” he says. “I want to get rid of the stigma associated with cancer. I want people to know it’s OK to talk about it and learn from it.”
As a cancer survivor, Christopher feels compelled to reach as many people as possible with his message. He’s been given a second chance and wants to return the favor by taking his story on the road with the Tour of Hope. “I hope that others will find strength, hope and knowledge in the Tour of Hope, and see me and my teammates as an inspiration.”
Joanne tells me that he is an amazing person whom she respects a lot. She says she was amazed at how he carried on and worked all through out his cancer treatment. Joanne also says he is a very upbeat person that people really like. Christopher sounds like an all around great person! And on top of this he is involved in a great cause.
The Tour of Hope is a great thing. If you can, check them out and see how you can help. After all every little bit helps and hopefully one day in the very near future they can find a cure for cancer so that everyone faced with this disease will be a survivor.
Posted by Daffodil at September 1, 2005 2:08 PM
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Comments
Thanks for helping to get the word out about this great tour Di!
Posted by: Joanne at September 1, 2005 2:33 PM
It's the least I can do! Let me know if there is anything else that comes up. I'll be happy to talk about it. I'm going to make a donation too.
Posted by: Dianne at September 1, 2005 2:36 PM
That's so nice Di, thanks! I do want to say that the Tour of Hope is not actively asking for donations, rather their mission is to educate and make people aware of how important clinical research is.
Posted by: Joanne at September 2, 2005 9:46 AM
That's true. But hopefully in the process people will look at them and think about making a donation to the American Cancer Society.
Posted by: Dianne at September 2, 2005 11:19 AM