Imagine getting some test results at the doctor’s office, and learning that you have an incurable illness. (It could happen to any of us.) Suddenly, you want to know what research is being done and how you can get well. What if you knew that cures were on the horizon, but people just aren’t that interested in getting involved?
My good friend and mentor, author Rick Walton, recently learned he had Parkinson’s disease. Just prior to this diagnosis, his four-year-old son was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. With all of these life changes, Rick is taking up the cause of encouraging people to “Invest in Finding Cures.” Since I also have a child with Juvenile Diabetes, a son with Autism, and because I lost my mother to breast cancer, I have obvious reasons for wanting to support him in this cause.
Diseases Strike at any Time
Every day, millions of people, and many that we personally know and love, wake up suffering. Many young children deal with painful and difficult physical challenges. It’s not fun to think about that, and you may be tempted to click immediately to another link rather than read further. But the reality is that debilitating diseases can strike any of us at any time.
The GOOD news…
Yet many of these diseases are literally on the threshold of being cured. Huge breakthroughs have been made in treating cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and more. But more research needs to be done. And research requires funding. You can help! By getting involved with and donating to a worthwhile foundation, you are helping save countless lives. And you don’t have to unload your life savings to make a difference. Small contributions and small efforts to make others aware of your cause can do a tremendous amount of good.
Selecting a Foundation
1. Choose a foundation that has a personal appeal to you, so you can feel passionate about being involved. If your child has an illness, for example, the choice is obvious. If you don’t have any family members or friends who are suffering (lucky you), do some research and select a foundation representing a disease that concerns you most.
2. Choose a foundation that invests aggressively in medical research. Before you invest time or money in a foundation, you should know how donations are spent and what efforts it makes towards its goals. A great deal of easy research on foundations can be done right here on the internet.
Here are some examples of good foundations:
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
The National Childhood Cancer Foundation
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
3. Contact your state or local representatives, and encourage them to direct funding toward your cause.
Be a Part of the Solution
Being part of a foundation feels really good. Our daily lives are often so busy and self-absorbed, but doing something for the benefit of others is empowering. Choose a foundation today and get involved! I encourage you to click on the above links and see the amazing progress that’s already being made! You can be a part of it! Don’t stand on the sidelines; be an active participant in helping to alleviate suffering.
For more good reasons to invest in cures, click here.