On the sidebar to the right, just above the Steve Gilliard memorial picture, you’ll find a new cause that you, the Prog Gold reader, can contribute to. As you may now if, like us, you’re a fantasy reader, Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s last year and this year he has decided to fight back, which he started by donating a million dollars to the Alzheimers Research Trust. He outlined his reasons for doing so in a speech he gave to the society (PDF file).
It’s a shock and a shame, then, to find out that funding for research is three per cent of that which goes to find cancer cures. Perhaps that is why, for example, that I know three people who have successfully survived brain tumours but no-one who has beaten Alzheimer’s…although among the Greek Chorus are some who are giving it a hard time.
I’d like a chance to die like my father did—of Cancer, at 86. (Remember, I’m speaking as a man with Alzheimer’s, which strips away your living self a bit at a time). Before he went to spend his last two weeks in a hospice he was bustling around the house, fixing things. He talked to us right up to the last few days, knowing who we were and who he was. Right now, I envy him. And there are thousands like me, except that they don’t get heard.
So let’s shout something loud enough to hear. We need you and you need money. I’m giving you a million dollars. Spend it wisely.
Science fiction author Pat Cadigan thought fandom should take up the challenge to provide matching funds, and some kind person at Blogenspiel put together a button to promote the cause, which you now see at right.
So what do you say? You can donate to the Alzheimers Research Trust, or The Alzheimer’s Association in the USA, or even the Dutch Alzheimer foundation.
Bit skint? Want to do something useful but can’t spent the money at the moment? There’s something else you can do, not to combat Alzheimer but to help with another widespread medical problem: the worldwide shortage of organ donors. If you haven’t gotten your donor card filled out yet, please do so now, in honour of World Kidney Day, which was held yesterday.