My grandmother’s last journal entry ended abruptly with 52 blank pages, a poignant reminder of the life she never got to live. In her old box, I found a treasure trove of her grocery lists and Christmas gift ideas for me and my cousins, but also notes on vaccine clinics, town hall meetings, and medical problems that foreshadowed her own battle with pancreatic cancer.
As I delved deeper into the journal, I discovered a lifelong dream my grandmother had yet to fulfill – earning a bachelor’s degree from Smith College. She wrote about wanting to be a “real person,” but it never worked out. What’s remarkable is how her experiences and passions continue to influence her writing even in her final days.
The Trump administration’s proposed 25% cut to the National Institutes of Health, including $2.7 billion from the National Cancer Institute, would devastate the fight against cancer research. A 37% cut would be a catastrophic blow to the federal government’s principal agency for cancer study and training, the largest funder of cancer research in the world.
Cancer research has saved countless lives, and NIH funding has contributed significantly to advancements like non-invasive blood tests and tumor-shrinking drugs. The loss of my grandmother to cancer is a stark reminder that the war against this disease must remain bipartisan. As I reflect on her final journal entry – just two lines without a glimmer of finality – I am reminded of the importance of continued funding for cancer research, ensuring that no one suffers from this disease alone.
The 52 blank pages at the end of May Hickey’s last notebook represent more than just lost opportunities; they symbolize the countless lives touched by cancer, waiting for hope and healing.
Source: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/opinion/columnists/cancer-forces-families-into-a-fight-between-loss-and-hope-nih-cuts-pose-a-crushing/article_cc051f11-40fc-4fc8-9896-29eba67a2e12.html