A Special Thanks

This past Sunday, an e-mail with the subject line: “Thanks” popped up in my inbox. In the days following the LIVESTRONG SUMMIT, we’ve received countless expressions of gratitude and re-affirmations of commitment to the LIVESTRONG Army and this War on Cancer. In the LIVESTRONG community, appreciation is frequently exchanged. However, as you will see from the e-mail below, many only recently discovered this powerful exercise of unity, knowledge and attitude at the LIVESTRONG SUMMIT. We hear “thank-you” on this end every day, but the true gratitude is owed to brave leaders like Barbara and Allen Segal. Thanks to you both for having the courage to share your story and the conviction to fight back by starting a local LIVESTRONG Army!

Dear Sarah and Jamie,

For seven years we remained silent, unable to voice our pain or expose the depth of our wounds. Diagnosed with stage four, non Hodgkin’s lymphoma, my husband Allen, was vilified by his medical colleagues for having the audacity to contract a disease which not only evoked terror, but threatened to destroy the collective armor of invisibility donned by his fellow physicians. The aftermath of our cancer experience was fraught with additional injustices when the world renowned medical institution where Allen had been both patient and practitioner suddenly viewed him as damaged goods. Physically compromised by aggressive treatment, he was unable to comply with an order to return to full time employment. After twenty three years of an esteemed medical career, Allen was labeled a financial liability and discarded like a remnant of trash. Broken and disillusioned we were surviving, but not living strong.

It wasn’t until last weekend at the LIVESTRONG SUMMIT that we experienced a transforming moment in our cancer journey. Surrounded by a consortium of courageous, compassionate, resilient warriors, we harnessed the strength to begin to heal. In four short days we broke seven long years of imposed silence. And in the near future when we return to combat once again, it will be by choice; with the understanding we will not be alone in the trenches. As a member of the LAF army, we will fight to insure that no one impacted by cancer is forced to walk down a path marred by preventable impediments until the day we stand as a nation under one army, untied by the commitment to eradicate cancer.

Thank you for helping us take the first critical step towards healing and in turn allowing us to advocate so that we may all live strong.

Our deepest thanks,
Barbara Bruck & Allen Segal