Dear Friends:
I am excited to address you for the 1
st time as Executive Director for Lazarex Cancer Foundation! It’s been 3 months since I joined the Lazarex team and I feel like this is where I am meant to be. Life is a journey of learning and improving while loving and sharing experiences. As we enter into 2018 we want to express our gratitude for the support we received from our donors throughout the year, especially with our year end appeal. We are proud to say that we received $83,000 in donations at the end of 2017. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!
Eleven years have passed since Lazarex served its first client and over 3,000 patients later, including 720 in the last year alone, we are ready for a new phase with our organization. 2018 will be a VERY special year as we launch our IMPACT program in California. For many years we have addressed the problem of assisting patients with participation in clinical trials. Now we can say that we will definitely start to solve the problem of patient participation in clinical trials by working with institutions and industry stakeholders. It’s an historic moment and it took the courage and tenacity of a special visionary woman to bring us here. Thank you to Dana Dornsife for leading the way and paving the path that will change the process of clinical trial enrollment, retention and minority participation for good.
Nothing in this world that is transformational is achieved by one person. It takes a village to assist cancer patients in their journey. The new phase of Lazarex Cancer Foundation is just starting. So to the LCF family I say:
- Board members, thank you for your leadership. We count on your guidance and advice to help us continue this amazing journey.
- Dear staff, you are the best people I have ever worked with and your dedication to our mission warms my heart. Keep up the good work and we will help thousands of people!
- Wonderful volunteers, thank you for the gifts of your talent and precious time. We can’t do this without YOU!
- Our patients and their families, you are the focus of our daily work and we are honored to serve you.
- Dear donors, your generosity is the fuel that empowers our mission every day. Our hearts are full of gratitude.
Nelson Mandela said,
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” We don’t have a cure for cancer yet, but we certainly are giving cancer patients the possibility of accessing tomorrow’s promising cures today.
Blessings to all and Happy New Year!
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Very Important Patient Update:
Life Goes On For Kevin Herring And We Couldn't Be Happier!
Kevin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) five days after his 23rd birthday and was given a thirty percent chance of survival. He was a
college student, one semester away from graduation. Lazarex provided financial assistance for Kevin's lodging while he underwent treatment and a bone marrow transplant at UCSF (University of California in San Francisco).
Kevin has been cancer free for about 7 years since his bone marrow transplant. Back home in Nevada,
he finished college, went back to work, and moved on with his life. In the autumn of 2017 Kevin and his girlfriend got engaged! They plan to wed this year. Now that is good news.
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Web
MD Interviews Lazarex Founder Dana Dornsife
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Connecting People to Clinical Trials
By Stephanie Watson
WebMD Health News
In 2003, Dana Dornsife’s brother-in-law, Mike, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors gave him a less than 1% chance of surviving. Dornsife’s quest to find an experimental cancer therapy for Mike opened her eyes to the barriers in the clinical trial process and led her to found the Lazarex Cancer Foundation — an organization that helps cancer patients get access to clinical trials. Since its launch in 2006, it has connected nearly 3,000 cancer patients with potentially lifesaving trials.
WebMD:
What inspired you to start Lazarex Cancer Foundation?
Dornsife:
It all started with my brother-in-law Mike’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer … The primary resource for clinical trial information was, and really still is, clinicaltrials.gov. I combed through that for five weeks in order to wrap my arms around what was out there in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer … After going through that process I thought, “How many people actually can complete this process on their own?”
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The 4th Annual AJ Strong Memorial 6.5K Run Presented By Team Cancer Sucks
Sunday, March 4, 2018
at Crissy Field in San Francisco
We are excited that Lazarex Cancer Foundation is a beneficiary of the AJ Strong Memorial Run presented by Team Cancer Sucks. All are welcome to run, walk, fundraise and picnic on Sunday, March 4, 2018 at Crissy Field in San Francisco.
We had a blast last year! The course is gorgeous, people are friendly and the swag is awesome. The race commemorates Team Cancer Sucks' co-founder & Iron Man, AJ Jabonero, who died from liver cancer brought on by the hepatitis B virus he was born with, and honors those who are fighting or have lost their battle with the disease. All proceeds from the event will help cancer patients find/access treatment, and raise awareness of hepatitis B and liver cancer in the local community.
Team Cancer Sucks is an endurance sports community on a mission. While training hard for group and personal success,they also race to raise funds to help cancer patients access the medical care they need to live.
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The Power Of Love In Action
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We want to acknowledge Carol Meyer, a dear friend, donor and advocate who has generously given 7 years to Lazarex Cancer Foundation as a full time volunteer. Carol has been responsible for our constituent database management and various special projects in support of development and fundraising. No small task! Her work here honors her Dad, a 23 year cancer survivor. Her dedication, generosity and skill have helped us to grow to where we are today. It takes a special person to be a full time volunteer, so please join us in expressions of gratitude to Carol. She is taking a well deserved break to focus on a very special project - her family - and have wonderful adventures.
Okay Carol, but don't be a stranger! We miss you already.
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Did you know that you can have fun, get in shape and fight cancer by joining Team Lazarex in the
2018 Big Sur International Marathon? Yes, we have bibs! And low fundraising minimums!
A stunning coastline course, Big Sur is one of the top rated marathon courses in the world.
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About Lazarex Cancer Foundation
We improve the outcome of cancer care, giving hope, dignity and life to advanced stage cancer patients and the medically underserved by providing assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, navigation through clinical trial options, community outreach and engagement. To learn more, please contact us at 925.820.4517, toll-free at 877.866.9523, or visit us at
www.lazarex.org
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