By sharing our stories, tips and/or thoughts we get a look into each other’s hearts which helps us appreciate the unique challenges each one of us face. It also helps us realize we’re not alone and points out what we have in common.
I’m grateful for all the past and present guest authors on Uniting Caregivers who have helped me reach my ultimate goal of increasing love, patience, tolerance, care and understanding. If you’d like to be a future guest author, that would be wonderful! I believe you have something we can benefit from. If you have a thought, tip or story you’re willing to share, I’d be happy to help you publish it. If it seems overwhelming and you don’t feel like you can do it, please know I’ll be there every step of the way. Let me know if you’re interested by leaving a comment in the box at the bottom of this page or by sending an email to Barbara@UnitingCaregivers.com.
Thank you, Cally Johnson, Pamela Clark, Judy Coon, Silvia Caswell, Jamie Sorensen, Glenn Oliver, Cindy Oliver, Dianne Breitling, Julie Brown, Barbara Larsen, Deidre Pickering, Katie Ferguson, Ann McDougall, Eric Reynolds, Tim Gray, Laura Norfelt, Greg Norfelt, Rosanne Day, Chuck Ferguson, Neils Knudsen, Mark Wilson and our current guest author, Christine Scott. To revisit any one of their stories, type their name in the search bar on the home page and it will take you to that individual’s article or list of articles in some cases. I appreciate each of you sharing your unique challenges and wonderful tips which help us reach our goal of better understanding one another.
Information found on the Huntsman Cancer Institution Website:
The story is all too common: a man—a husband, brother, father, grandfather, and friend—is diagnosed with cancer. He seeks treatment, and doctors do what they can within their resources to save his life. He looks to his loved ones for support and encouragement. His cancer is treated successfully and he waits, hoping it will not recur.
While the narrative is common, it happened twice to an uncommon man: Jon M. Huntsman. Mr. Huntsman is chairman and founder of Huntsman Corporation, a multinational chemical manufacturing and marketing business with world headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Through his cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery—which took place at top facilities across the United States—he felt a void in cancer care. “It felt impersonal, and for a disease in which treatment is often ongoing, it took place in environments that were cold and medical, places less conducive to healing.”
During his journey to recovery, Jon M. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, committed themselves to advancing cancer research and care for others, including the atmosphere in which that care takes place.
In 1995, the Huntsman family pledged $100 million to construct a state-of-the-art cancer center in Salt Lake City. Shortly thereafter, the Huntsman’s pledged another $125 million. Almost two decades later, Huntsman Cancer Institute and Hospital is world-renowned. The individualized care patients receive from multidisciplinary teams of doctors, nurses, radiation therapists, and pharmacist’s helps heal their bodies. Social workers and support groups help patients keep their spirits strong, and a wellness program helps them maintain fitness and good health with diet and exercise appropriate to their condition during treatment and beyond.
Huntsman Cancer Institute’s mission is to understand cancer from its beginnings, to use that knowledge in the creation and improvement of cancer treatments, to relieve the suffering of cancer patients, and to provide education about cancer risk, prevention, and care.
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It seems as though cancer touches every life, if not personally, then through a family member or friend. Nobody wants to hear the “C-word” diagnosis, and when I first heard my daughter Katie had it, I was filled with fear. I realize thyroid cancer is less serious than many other kinds of cancer, but it’s still alarming especially when it’s spread to lymph nodes. It’s comforting to know Katie is getting treatment at one of the best facilities.
I’m so impressed with the doctors, nurses and the beauty of this facility. I’m grateful for Mr. Huntsman. His generosity and passion for finding a cure for cancer made me curious about what drives a billionaire to donate so much of his wealth to this cause. My research only made my admiration grow for this man. His donations of more than $1.2 billion made him dropped from the “Forbes 400” in 2010. The world has 1,200 billionaires and he is one of only 19 to have donated more than $1 billion. What a remarkable man!
While researching I came across this six minute interview, published on Nov 30, 2012. Jon Huntsman Sr. talks about his childhood growing up broke in Blackfoot, Idaho and how his goal now is to find a cure for cancer and die broke doing it.
Other cancer survivor stories can be found on the Huntsman Cancer Institute website, “Survivor Stories”, along with lots of other helpful information on cancer.
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