Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer at The Max Foundation, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Last year, for the first time in many years, I traveled to Central America to see the work of The Max Foundation firsthand. We began helping people in Latin America almost 30 years ago, and for my birthday this year, I’m dedicating it to people facing cancer in El Salvador and Guatemala. If you are looking for something good to do, I would be deeply grateful if you supported my campaign today.
The Power of Doing Something Good
Those of you who have known me for some time know that for the last decade I have dedicated my birthday to support people facing cancer diagnosis. This year is no different. So if my lifelong dedication inspires you in any way and you are looking for something good to do, I would be deeply grateful if you supported my campaign today. You will find the link at the bottom of this post.
I don’t know how I ended up here at The Max Foundation. There was no master plan. In fact, I was supposed to be a park ranger and live happily in a national park. But life took a turn. A few years after our personal tragedy, we opened an email address, help@themaxfoundation.org, in the hopes that we could help someone, and that by doing that, our own pain would dissipate. Since that day, the pleas for help keep coming: heart-wrenching, raw, with a familiar and common humanity that connects us all, asking for an opportunity for their loved one to overcome their illness and a chance to do it with dignity. And let me tell you something, once you hear the messages, you can’t unhear them.
People write because they are desperate and they hope someone with the means to help will listen. They write because they think I have a platform and, somehow, this platform will allow me to connect them to someone who can help. I read the messages we receive daily, first thing every morning. It is important to me to honor people by listening to their voice. I forward the requests both internally at The Max Foundation and externally to anyone who might be in a position of power to help.
Many years ago, we learned of Maria Caridad from El Salvador, a young mother of four who was diagnosed with cancer and whom we were able to support by providing the treatment she needed. Something she said has stuck with me. Maria Caridad said she would forever be grateful for the medicine that was keeping her alive and able to support her children. But, she said, what really touched her heart was to know that someone on the other side of the world cared about her. Throughout her entire life, no one had ever cared what happened to her.
Maria Caridad’s heartfelt truth shows us the power of human connection across geographies, and it is fitting that this year the focus of my birthday campaign is on people facing cancer in El Salvador and Guatemala. I had the privilege to visit these two countries last October, and what I found was a tight community of hard-working people coming together to help each other. I was in awe of the work of ASOPALEU, a local patient organization in Guatemala, led by Silvia and a group of patients dedicated to helping other patients. I was moved by the energy of José, a patient himself who works as a clown, bringing joy and laughter to his community. And it was a powerful moment to meet Jessica, a young lawyer whom we had helped years ago, now all grown up and giving to her community.
In honor of the Maria Caridads, the Silvias, the Josés, and the Jessicas of the world, here is the link to do something good today. I will thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
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