Cancer is a word that has chilled most of us in one way or another. Maybe you mother, sister or wife has had to deal with the terrifying diagnosis. Or, your father, brother or husband has been through debilitating treatment.
Luckily, there are many nonprofit organizations (NPOs) out there that have as their mission the eradication or more endurable treatment of the disease. Many of them extend their networks as civic minded organizations hold fund raisers and awareness events so that the goal is not forgotten or put aside for other important issues.
There are facets of dealing with cancer that don’t always get recognized though when an event comes up that focuses on diagnosis or treatment. One of those is spending dwindling precious time with a loved one as they face a terminal prognosis. Matt Dimmer discovered that after his father underwent routine gall bladder surgery and was found to have Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer.
An LA-dwelling Detroit native, Matt and his wife had just moved to Los Angeles from Chicago when the family got the news. Fortunately for Matt, he had the means to travel home often and mark precious milestones with his father and his family as his father’s health declined. About a month before his father’s passing, Matt stepped back and recognized his advantage and was pained to think of others who were too far away and unable to afford the travel involved to share their loved one’s last holiday...or weekend...or day.
The experience led Matt to form a nonprofit that seeks to enable others without the means to travel to sick loved ones to say a precious goodbye. The Extra Mile (thextramile.org) seeks to collect American Express points, travelers’ surplus frequent flyer miles and, of course, cash to help reunite loved ones going through an experience similar to Matt’s own.
As Matt explained his mission to me, “Saying goodbye to a dying loved one should be a human right that no one should be denied, and I intend on making that happen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment