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 ...
Well Bachmann I understand, Perry came in and took her support away so she set about lying her ass off about him.
Palin? Palin has a long history of backing....shall we say “less than conservative” politicians?
That’s what I was thinking. It doesn’t say she had HPV. If she didn’t than the vaccine wouldn’t have helped here anyway.
Not getting the vaccine doesn’t mean they will die from cervical cancer.
Getting the vaccine doesn’t mean they won’t.
The vaccine protects against a very small number of the strains of the disease. The vaccine also only protects against the small number of strains for 4-5 years.
Right now today approx 50% of Americans have HPV. The annual death count is about 4000.
You think? LOL...it has been non stop garbage against Perry. We even have FReepers that should know better...hey, barry and his campaign team have spend 10’s of million dollars to have conservatives eat their own. And it is working especially here at FR. Too bad FReepers aren’t able to understand the left is using you. You’ve played right into their fat little commie hands.
What a vicious thing to say.
Many of them have been. Everyone knows about Horsehoe Bay. Everyone knows about Convergen, Thrumbovision, and the rest of the ETF pay-to-play horsecrap.
But they don’t have the resources of the national party or the national press. There will be a lot more digging and the stuff that’s already on the surface is nasty enough. I shudder to think of what they’ll find when they start really digging.
And who posted that drivel? You?
How is transmission relevant?
Is your point that cancer is the correct punishment for sin?
* As an aside, HPV can be transmitting causually, such as in a public laundry.
Isn’t that the truth...little ole’ sideshow for the few political junkies in America.
You surely have more time to spend reading than I, as I have yet to read any such statement.
I have yet to discover that any of US here in a flesh body is NOT going to die. What is completely misrepresented is that this is a drinking water toxin or an airborne virus. A specific activity is required to become infected. WHY NOT tax that activity as it is a well known FACT that taxes/mandates are put into place to curb/cease specific activities...
It’s my fault? Little ole me is where the national Dems and the media will turn for their research? I think not.
We have FReepers who should know better than to support a pile of corrupt slime like Rick Perry for the highest office in the land. If they want to hold their nose and vote for him as governor, I couldn’t possibly care less, but promoting him to the highest office in the land is just plain irresponsible.
Instead of mandating the vacine Perry should have initiated a program to inform people of the risk of cervical cancer and that the vacine could protect against 4 types of the virus that can cause it. Then let people make their own decision.
Well, at least she doesn’t have a history of backing Rats.
Did Perry not back McCain in the last election?
No, just many of the sinnless folk on FR who believe the correct punishment for pre-marital sex is death.
I don’t have any daughters but it wouldn’t be on me anyway BECAUSE you can get cervical cancer even if you take this vaccine.
Why is it vicious? I couldn’t live with myself if I denied my daughters a vaccine, and then they later died of cancer contracted by a disease that had a vaccine.
If the truth is vicious, then I guess I was vicious. Has the FDA pulled the drug? Nope. I guess the FDA wants a bunch of mentally retarded girls running around America.
Around 75% of the population carries HPV,, and it can be passed with a kiss. Even if a woman is a virgin bride, it’s more than likely she will be exposed to this virus that is a proven cause of one type of cancer. If she gets the vaccine before she starts kissing boys and such, she will almost surely avoid this deadly cancer. It’s ok to oppose a government mandate, but this mentality that HPV is some product of low morals is ignorant nonsense.
Some 80% of women in America have HPV by age 50.
So this is something that ALMOST EVERYONE needs.
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