Clay had no reason to suspect he had cancer when he consulted his doctor about a persistent cough. But when his doctor had a hard time meeting his eyes after a needle biopsy, he knew the news was going to be bad.
Now he has a message that he will preach to anyone who will listen: "I am convinced our only defense against lung cancer is heightened awareness and increased research."
E. Clay Shaw has spent much of his life in the public eye. He has represented Florida in Congress for 25 years. His current goal is to make cancer a manageable disease and/or find a cure by 2015. With colleague and cancer survivor Collin Peterson, he founded the 2015 Caucus and introduced the recently passed Resolution 210, which shares the goals of the National Cancer Institute: to end the suffering and death due to cancer.
"Cancer is something we can overcome," he says. He admits that his diagnosis was a shock at first. "The world sort of stops when you hear that, but I did not want any pity parties, I wanted to move forward, and that is what I have done for the last three years."
"When you are in a race and you see the finish line you sprint, you don't jog over the line. You give it everything you possibly can, and that is what we need to do with cancer research. We are so close to finding a cure or making this a manageable disease," he says very passionately. "The more we talk about cancer and the positive things that are happening, it helps the attitude of everyone with cancer."
Clay and his wife of 45 years, Emilie, have lost family and friends to cancer. But his goals are not about him -- they are about everyone affected by this insidious disease. And even though he is not a scientist, he feels he can contribute to finding a cure. "I could retire, but I feel I am in a position to really make a difference."
Lung cancer kills more people than many other cancers combined,according to the National Cancer Institute. But, Clay says, "We don't spend nearly enough on lung cancer."
Congressman Shaw has spoken to the President about this and wants him to make this a priority. "My goal now is to bring the President aboard and make this a national commitment. It is such a logical thing to do."
<< previous story | next story >>
