• Home
• Music
• Entertainment
• Design
• Books
• Technology
• Help/Environment
• Wellness
• Life Banter

In case you were wondering what Cal Ripken, Jr. has been up to I thought I'd let you know.

Ripken, known as the "Ironman" because of his consecutive games streak, lost his father to lung disease just weeks before Opening Day in 1999. He now makes a strong effort in educating the public about lung cancer and I am extremely thrilled he is doing so.

Last night I was reading stats about cancer research. Brian and I discussed it briefly because I asked him why lung cancer would be getting so little research when it is the leading cause of cancer. He knew immediately the answer was lack of attention due to the lack of funding.

Ripken joined the Lung Cancer Alliance as part of their "The Face in the Fight" campaign, in the beginning of 2007 and renewed his commitment for 2008. "I am proud to work with Lung Cancer Alliance to help reverse the stigma surrounding the disease," said Ripken. "For too long, lung cancer has been ignored and those diagnosed have been blamed. Lung cancer survivors deserve to be treated with compassion and support regardless of their smoking history." Joe Buck and Troy Aikmen are also big parts of the campaign.

While I understand lung cancer may be on of the most preventable types, because well, you can stop smoking or never start smoking, I still don't believe it is right to give the disease less attention for that reason. Having Cal Ripken's name on the bill will hopefully benefit the need for research in this area.

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, killing more Americans each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers -- combined. What you might not know and what I didn't know is that 60% of lung cancer patients are people who quit smoking decades ago or never smoked to begin with. That shocked me and I think if more people noted that fact then they would be more apt to pitch in. However, Ripken said it well when he explained these patients should be treated with the same compassion and support regardless of their history.

Click here for a PDF poster to hang up at your place of work or around your local community.

In other related news, Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr. has taken the lead on lung cancer in the House of Representatives. He convinced 73 of his colleagues in the House to cosign a letter demanding more lung cancer research funding. To thank Congressman Shaw, a lung cancer survivor, for his hard work and leadership in getting other members of the House to stand up for more research funding for lung cancer please contact him.

By Mail:
The Honorable E. Clay Shaw
U.S. House of Representatives
1236 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

If your representative is one of the cosigners, thank him or her also.

If your representative is NOT one of the cosigners, you may want to ask if he or she would send a similar letter. To contact your representative simply go to www.house.gov/writerep/ and enter your ZIP code.

Labels: cancer, lung dieases