Cancer Diary: Contributing in Death
Last Tuesday marked one year since Carl Leaver, co-founder of MSI Press LLC, passed from cancer. On that day, while we did a number of things to commemorate the significance of his life and the year since he left us, of some import, as I mentioned that days, was receiving a note from Science Care that they had planted another tree, a year later, in his honor in a national forest.
That act brings to mind the ways that one's contributions do not end with death. They continue. Not only in the relatives and family traditions one leaves behind but in many other ways as well.
Science Care, which accepts whole body donations, facilitates contribution in the areas of research and medical student training. Similarly, those who donate organs, improve the ongoing lives of people who might otherwise have died or lived impaired lives.
So many financial donations are given in the names of those who pass on as a form of memorial. Those donations to very worthwhile endeavors likely would not occur otherwise -- and they can do a lot of good for individuals, the community, and the world.
Other kinds of donations often take place as well --- the passing on of professional equipment to youth and adult organizations, the sharing of clothing with those who need it via thrift shops, Goodwill, and other conduits, and so many more creative kinds of donations.
Often, those who remain behind try to find ways to make someone's life count for something. The MSI Press blog Cancer Diary blog posting is one such example as is Carl's Cancer Compendium. (There is a large list of cancer support organizations and activities that have arisen in this manner.)
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. We can all live on, if we wish, through our publications (if so talented), our charities (if so endowed), our planned ongoing actions (if so inclined).
What is your personal experience -- or your favorite contribution from someone you have heard of? Share, please!
Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl Don Leaver, co-founder of MSI Press LLC, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI Press is now hosting a web page, Carl's Cancer Compendium, as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand into robustness. To that end, it is expanded and updated weekly. As part of this effort, each week, on Monday, this blog will carry an informative, cancer-related story -- and be open to guest posts: Cancer Diary.
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