A Change in Direction

The astute readers amongst you will notice that we’ve changed the title of this here blog. It was our intention to document the search for our new home, but that is over. I still plan to go back and revisit a few of our strategies, but truth be told - it’s all just a matter of keeping your head. We certainly aren’t the first to buy a house and most definitely are not the most experienced. So - with that little preamble, let me announce that we will be expanding the contents of this blog to cover not only house related details, but to keep family and friends in the loop as to what is going on in our lives here in the Boston area. We’ll include photos when we can, but feel free to click through to my galleries over at the Google photo site (click on photos to the left to get there).

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As the first new post on this newly incarnated site, I want to tell you about an event that we will be taking part in here in Boston on October 4th.

About a year ago my sister was diagnosed with a form of cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia. This diagnosis came within months of me shifting the focus of my own scientific research to the battle against cancer. Coincidences like this can happen, but surely they make one look to capital F Fate and higher powers. My sister is doing ok - a little tired from fighting the fight and raising two young children, but she is a strong woman and she has the help of friends and family. The prognosis is still unclear, but thanks to research and therapies developed by my colleagues she has a fighting chance.

Cancer touches everybody. When I tell people that I am in cancer research, I inevitably get a cancer story back. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. My latest experience happened during my high school reunion where my old football coach told me that he is being treated for the exact type of cancer that my company is leading the way in on therapy. It was an emotional moment for us both.

In my professional life I put my mind, heart and hands to work against cancer. It is a complex disease that comes in many forms and differing degrees of severity. We can hope for a cure, but hope only goes so far. To bring that hope to fruition we need to support both the basic and applied research that scientists like myself and my devoted colleagues are undertaking.

It is a difficult time for research funding in our society - over the past 5 years and for the next forseeable future the money spent by the government (which is to say *OUR* tax money!) on basic reasearch funding has flattened and in some instances decreased. As citizens we cannot let this continue. We are a wealthy society - we hold the power in our hands to work towards a future that is free of disease. It may not happen in our lifetimes, it may not happen in our children’s lifetimes - but if we do nothing, it will not happen in any lifetime. The fight must continue and it can continue with your help. Cast your votes with the needs of basic research in mind, and when you can’t vote with a ballot, vote with your wallet. If everyone in the US and Canada were to give as little as $4 per year, we would have over a billion dollars a year to fund the research that ultimately leads to defeating disease.

This October 4th we are going to walk on the Boston Common in honor of my sister and for all the people who are battling or have battled cancer. I am inviting you to walk along with me - please donate what you can afford here.

Thank-you.

Byron, Barb & Tyler.