Posted on 09/15/2011 9:55:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Heather Burcham died in 2007 when she was 31. Cervical cancer killed her. She was misdiagnosed at age 26, and by the time she knew she had cancer, it was too late for effective treatment.
But she changed lives by living hers so passionately.
She was deeply religious, quick-witted, loving, with a quirky sense of humor; and she was determined to save other young women. Her passion for a cause made her a "Person of the Week" on ABC's "World News" program in 2007. Heather likely would have been shouting from the rooftops in frustration, listening to the current political debate about the HPV vaccine.
For her, the HPV vaccine was about saving lives, not politics, not campaign donations. She probably would have been heartbroken to hear Texas Gov. Rick Perry backtrack from his commitment to have girls vaccinated against cervical cancer.
Perry made her the poster child for his HPV executive decision, and spoke eloquently at her funeral. What a difference four years later as he debates the topic with other Republican candidates.
Her words to ABC News in 2007 still resonate, in light of the current debate in which this one face of the disease has been lost amid the political rhetoric.
"I don't want to have died in vain," she said. "I don't want my life to have no purpose whatsoever, and if I can help spread the word about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, then I haven't lived in vain."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
What was the point of your post? I said HPV is the primary cause of cerivical cancer. Your article confirms this fact.
Were you agreeing with me?
He doesn’t support Sarah, he already admitted to being an Obamaite.
Or the partners their kids choose.
My friend, who is battling cervical cancer, married her high school sweetheart whom she adored and trusted. He infected her. She wishes there had been a vaccine offered, because now her strongest desire now is to live to see her children grown.
Remember the old AIDS commercial? Everyone your partner ever slept with is in that bed you share with him/her.
First a DEMOCRAT governor endorses Perry today and now abc.
LLS
That small number is the cause of 70% of cervical cancer.
The vaccine also only protects against the small number of strains for 4-5 years.
The vaccine is proved to provide 5 years of protection. It may provide a lifetime of protection, but we don't know that yet.
Why are you trying to deceive people into thinking this isn't a significant protection? What motivation do you have to do something like that?
Politics are ugly enough without trying to cause people to not get a vaccine that may save their children's lives, or prevent them from becoming sterile.
Yes, like essentially all vaccines, there are risks. People need to be informed and make intelligent decisions about their Health care.
Right the intellectuals have been telling the little children for decades they are animals, and 'surprise' they act like animals. And NOW the real luddites are demanding us to follow the bambamKennedy religion of 'we are our brother's keepers'... Some day soon the preachers of the 'survival of the fittest' are going the spend US into the hands of a foreign power dictating how we must serve government gods...
It’s bad enough that you support a corrupt candidate. Now you need to be a punk on top of it?
Meaningless statistic. By age 50 almost 100% of women will have been infected by the common cold and flu virus.
Rick Perry, CWC
Conservative When Convenient
“Once again please provide proof of the 80% figure.”
You’ve been given the link about 4 times on this thread.
Alright, but those go away and HPV doesn’t.
If Sarah doesn’t run, I don’t plan to vote for a nanny-stater.
My guess is that the same people who helped Huckabee knock Romney out of the race last time around, are now facilitating the nomination of Romney by knocking Perry.
Why? Because a girls chances of dying from the vaccine are higher than her chances of dying from the cancer.
The ignorance is breathtaking on a conservative site like this. Of course you can get pregnant fro a toilet seat as well. Common "knowledge" if you get my drift.
The vaccine needs to be administered while they are still virgins, so the public health benefit is delayed. Also, FYI, those HPVs also cause cancers in men. There is no reason not to have sons vaccinated, as well.
You obviously have no idea what you're talking about regarding this vaccine. This is dangerously ignorant and irresponsible information.
“Why should my Health Insurance be affected by bad decisions or even unknown circumstances that others encounter?”
Because that is what insurance is. It’s a risk pool.
As an aside, its almost certainly cheaper to give everyone a $112 shot (and that’s the retail price, probably 1/3 that if you are in a big pool) than the millions it cost for cancer treatment per person.
At 7,000 per year, assuming $1 million (conservatively) for cancer treatment that that’s $7,000,000, 000 (7 billion per year).
It’s certainly cheaper to prevent the disease.
I think 47 states require the hep-b vaccine for children. Hepatitis B isn't contracted casually, is it?
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