Stand Up To Cancer: Podcast Version

Here's a much higher quality (and longer) version of Errol Morris' short film, "Stand Up To Cancer."

Errol Morris' Stand Up To Cancer

Previously on Boing Boing:
• Errol Morris' film "Stand Up to Cancer"

[#1 posted by GeekDadCanada , September 12, 2008 1:38 PM]

My dear wife Marsha was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma (a mole that went bad on her leg) 10 days before our beautiful twin girls were born. She fought for three years, but eventually succumbed on October 16th, 2006. She was only 31, and left me with three great kids.

I hope that no one has to go what our family's been through, but unfortunately it's all too common.

[#2 posted by Mark Frauenfelder , September 12, 2008 2:15 PM]

Thank you for sharing this story, Geek Dad Canada. I wish you and your family the best.

[#3 posted by Anonymous , September 12, 2008 5:14 PM]

GeekDadCanada, I do understand. My wife is stage III - though next week is likely to be "officially" stage IV. We have 3 kids. We're over 5 years into this. There's more to the story, but it's hard to tell.

I like this version of the vid better than the previous. But as this week's Newsweek article touches on - sometimes death is not an option. Meaning, sometimes - and with cancer, often - you don't have a choice. No amount of treatment will help.

I still feel that's only barely touched on in this version. Optimism and hope may sell tickets and get donations, but if you know anyone in your life with cancer, especially people who are young and should have years and years to live, be sensitive to the fact that survivial may not be an option.

"Aggressive" treatments, special diets, positive thinking - very often these are worth nothing in the face of this often relentless, poorly understood, and deadly disease. That thought, if nothing else, should push you to support cancer research.

[#4 posted by GeekDadCanada , September 12, 2008 7:00 PM]

I actually was a cancer researcher in the past, having my degree in Molecular Genetics and working in hematology oncology research for 5 years. Even though I got my wife the best doctors in Canada (having worked with them), and sending her for treatments in the US (interleukin 2), unfortunately nothing helped. Thank goodness for our health care system in Canada, or I'd be very much in debt and still be without my wife. Trying to be mom and dad, dealing with the loss (and the in-laws) is bad enough without having to worry about the financial burden.

The hardest thing i ever had to do was tell my kids that Mommy had died. Try telling that to a 6 year old and twin 3 year olds. They knew Mommy was getting sicker, but of course they always thought she would get better. Unfortunately, knowing too much about the disease (from my researcher days), I knew what was coming, and she went pretty much on schedule.

Even though it's been almost 2 years since she passed, it's still rough. We think of her daily, and miss her very much.

[#5 posted by gpeare , September 13, 2008 12:59 PM]

Coincidentally, I just posted a story about Ingrid Michaelson's Stand Up to Cancer support project on Ukulelia today. Proceeds from her new CD Be OK will go to SU2C. Read "This Machine Kills Cancer" here.

[#6 posted by OM , September 13, 2008 3:21 PM]

..."Stand Up To Cancer" sounds like one of those "Up With People!" slogans :-P