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The message of the Andy B. Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation is one of hope.
Andrew, during his treatments, was hopeful about the outcome. Although things did not turn out like we hoped in terms of his cure and still being here today, he carried hope with him until he passed. While he was undergoing treatment, he was in many ways the hope we as a family needed. He inspired me. He inspired my parents and older brother. He kept us going. Cancer in many ways was harder on us than on him. He still inspires me almost nine years later. Looking back on things, this tells me he had something special. To be so young yet having the ability to have grace and peace is truly remarkable. His purpose in life was to inspire and give hope. What inspires you? Is it a person or thing? What gives you hope to keep going and making a difference in people's lives? There are literally thousands, if not, millions of charities out there that one could give a gift to in terms of philanthropic support. So, how do we differentiate our cause here at the Andy B. Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation versus the millions of other causes.
I think the answer is simple. 100% of all money raised goes towards research and awareness of osteosarcoma. That's not to say that we're better than other charities, rather, I think shows how committed to this cause we are. Every dollar, no matter how large or small is helpful to us. We want to provide a direct funding stream for researchers like Dr. Susanne Ragg who we work with directly to help her find a cure. Depending on what research you read, 60-70% of patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma survive. If this was a baseball batting average, you'd probably say that these are pretty good odds. However 60-70% for living, breathing, human beings is not good enough. Not in 2014. Not with the advances of modern medicine. We have to do better. Unfortunately, Andrew was in the 30-40% of patients who don't survive. Before Andrew passed, we as a family promised to keep his memory alive. This space, this website, are all dedicated to doing so. If you're suffering from osteosarcoma, we want to hear from you. We want to be a source of comfort during your treatment. -Jason |
AuthorsJason Broadwater, friends, and family of Andrew Broadwater. Thanks for reading! Archives
June 2015
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