Team of doctors | Photo National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Part VI of a “Cancer/Medical Moonshot” Series
On February 26, 2023, this column began an article to Launch “Project 541” and Start a “Medical Moonshot” in the Philippines by mentioning that in 1996, then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote a best-selling book, It Takes a Village.
Mrs. Clinton’s book tells the heartwarming and universal story of a diverse community coming together to make a difference. Yes, it takes many people to work together to complete even a simple village project.
This columnist recalled her book as he brainstormed how to launch a pilot project for the “Medical Moonshot.” It was after he started a series addressed to then-president-elect Joe Biden in December 2020, in which he argued that his 2016 proposal for a “Cancer Moonshot” should be a “Medical Moonshot”. It was a series of articles designed to revive the first overseas U.S. medical center, launched in 1901 by then-President William McKinley and Civil Governor General William Howard Taft in the Philippine Islands, then a new American colony. The “medical center” project marked the start of a strategy to win the hearts and minds of the Filipino people. And it succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of both Williams as visionary leaders.
Yes, to borrow again the oft-quoted phrase, “It takes a village”, for miracles to happen especially for stage-four cancer cases. Yes, even at Duke University’s Cancer Center and Cancer Institute, it takes teams of staff members — from oncologists, other physicians, nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, lab technicians, other medical personnel, non-medical employees, volunteers, security people, parking attendants, and pianists, plus other musicians that perform in front of the Radiation-Oncology Clinic’s “Healing Haven.” All of them pitch in on doing long processes that often end in miraculous cures. More assistance from the public reaches patients across different villages (pun intended) from multiethnic, interfaith supporters. Last but not least, more than 2,500 patients volunteer to enroll in clinical trials and cancer research every year.
” … [M]ore than 10 million individuals die worldwide from cancer alone every year. Many of these deaths resulted from the so-called “‘preventable cancers.”‘ What the world needs now is to recreate the 1901 medical center in the Philippines as Step One. And do the same in 49 other strategic countries worldwide.”
Every patient, whether rich or poor, depends on support from family, in-laws, fellow parishioners, spiritual advisers, and friends for many priceless things. Including rides from volunteers or a driver to operate the patient’s motorcar, accompanying them to treatment sessions, providing meals or snacks delivered to the patient’s home, and other needed assistance. And most of all, tons of prayers by the supporters that are addressed to their Almighty God, Allah, Yahweh, or any other name for the Supreme Being or Creator. Yes, state-of-the-art medical technology plus prayers, moral support, and other valuable assistance produce countless miracles of cure.
Last Sunday’s column noted that North Carolina is one of the states that operates a “Medical Debt Relief Program,” which requires an income-screening process to provide financial assistance to cancer patients or those suffering from other serious, debilitating illnesses. The state requires hospitals to apply on behalf of eligible patients for an effective percentage of financial assistance. Additionally, many donors help fund Duke University—from its renaming from Trinity College in 1924 (as mentioned in Part III), made possible by a grant from electric-power industrialist James Buchanan Duke to honor his father, Washington Duke, and his family. While James B. Duke established the endowment that created the university, Trinity College President William Preston Few insisted on the name change.
Today, big, medium, and small corporate and family donors continue to support Duke University and its colleges, treatment centers, and urgent-care clinics. They also support the Duke Cancer Networks that extend expertise in cancer care across the United States.
The bottom line of this series is to persuade Duke University. other medical schools, and the people of North Carolina, to grab the reins of leadership in making the “Cancer/Medical Moonshot” a reality. As stated in last Sunday’s article, more than 10 million individuals die worldwide from cancer alone every year. Many of these deaths resulted from the so-called “preventable cancers.” What the world needs now is to recreate the 1901 medical center in the Philippines as Step One. And do the same in 49 other strategic countries worldwide. Additionally, construct, as part of every “MedCenter,” a replica of Duke University’s medical schools and its Cancer Institute. And do also their proven strategies for cancer cure and other modern medical miracles.
It may take more than a village in every country, and even across all continents, to achieve the “Medical Moonshot”. But as has been told by this author — again and again — the 1901 accomplishment of President McKinley and Mr. Taft could be done again. This time with state-of-the-art medicine, systems, and procedures. All that is needed is the political will to take the first few steps of 50 voyages of 1 million miles or more.
