Take Action

If you are sharing in some of the outrage at the injustice of Ron Clark’s untimely and very preventable death, I am requesting that you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 

Ron made close friends everywhere he went.  Two of his closest from his time at Ashland University are Mike and Colleen (Fielding) Cook.  They remained his friends over the years since he left Ohio and proved to be an incredible source of strength and support to both Ron and I throughout Ron’s diagnosis.  Colleen, I especially want to thank you for your kind words of encouragement.  The messages you have sent me over the past several months are some of the most comforting; I reread them over and over.  And I want to thank you for your recent blog post which makes it easy for people to take action.

To those of you who don’t know Colleen, let me just tell you, she has a way with words.  And she knew and loved Ron very much.  Mix those two things together and sprinkle in a healthy dose of activism and you have the recipe to actually MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.  To make Ron’s death mean something.  To put a face and a name with the need for a change in how we approach healthcare in this country. 

I ask you now to please visit Colleen’s blog and read her post Why Ron Didn't Have to Die.  In it, she has a link so that you may write your federal representative requesting that they take action.  Colleen has used her way with words to compose a sample letter for you to submit in contacting your representative.  You may want to use that as it is, or as a starting point to personalize with your own relationship with Ron or views on what healthcare reform could or might look like.  This is your opportunity to speak out on behalf of Ron.  

I encourage you to share Colleen's post with everyone you know.  Spread the word about Ron Clark.  I appreciate those of you who already have shared it and contacted your representatives.  Let's make our urging for a change in the system become a roaring, spreading wildfire that cannot be contained without ACTION. 

When Ron was first diagnosed, he wanted to take up some form of activism about his situation and was inspired to do so.  He shared with me the story of Randy Pausch, a brilliant computer science professor who died from pancreatic cancer (a different type than Ron had, but still, a story all too familiar in how it played out).  Ron was inspired by Randy’s Last Lecture and by his testimony to the Labor, Health, and Human Services Subcommittee.  We watched both together shortly after Ron was diagnosed.  I know if you take the time to watch them, you will see how closely Ron’s spirit, humor, and outlook aligned with Randy’s. 

Here is Randy’s Last Lecture, which you have to set aside an hour for, but in watching, I guarantee you will see the similarities he and Ron shared:

Ron especially liked to imagine himself going to Washington D.C. to speak about Von Hippel Lindau and the need for access to appropriate medical care.  Ron wanted to emulate Randy’s approach with his own story, hopeful it could make an impact.  Here is Randy’s testimony (a shorter watch and incredibly powerful):

However, instead of pursuing the activism side of things, Ron got busy.  First, he tried to kick his cancer’s ass as much as he could with chemo and other treatments.  Then he got busy trying to pack as much living into the life he had left.  And then his body got too tired of fighting just to stay live and he was too tired to fight for anything else.  He got busy making every last, quiet moment count with friends and family.  And he and I got busy packing as much of what should have been a nice, long life together into his all-too-brief final months and days. 

So, Ron never got around to the activism piece.  He never got to share his story with anyone in a position to make a social or political change.  

We can support Ron where he left off.  We can make his story known.  We can advocate for people in similar situations not to have to go through the same things he did.  Again, I urge you to visit Colleen’s blog and follow her lead in writing to your representative.  Or find your own way to initiate change.  Find your voice.  Find your method.  Go forth and make change.  Do it in honor of someone you know.  Someone who touched your life.  Someone who fought so hard to survive so much. 

For me, I go forth in honor of Ron Clark.  Maybe, hopefully, you will join me.