I got a Letter from the Governor

Pghmomma
Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Today I got a letter from the Governor of Pennsylvania sealed and stamped stating April Esophageal cancer awareness month from here on out!!


Today is also my mothers birthday, so what a great present for her as well!

Comments

  • MOE58
    MOE58 Member Posts: 589 Member
    #2
    how do you do that?
    Tina

    I am not familiar on how to do that here in Oklahoma please advise?

    Thanks

    Lori

    Ps glad dad is doing better
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #3
    MOE58 said:

    how do you do that?
    Tina

    I am not familiar on how to do that here in Oklahoma please advise?

    Thanks

    Lori

    Ps glad dad is doing better

    Lori
    Kim, will help you! she helped me. I just contacted my Gov.

    Thanks alot, I know dad is doing better to me. Like the dr's are saying it will take a long time for him to get back to normal. But hey ill take that!

    Tina
  • mumphy
    mumphy Member Posts: 440
    #4
    Pghmomma said:

    Lori
    Kim, will help you! she helped me. I just contacted my Gov.

    Thanks alot, I know dad is doing better to me. Like the dr's are saying it will take a long time for him to get back to normal. But hey ill take that!

    Tina

    Great Tina!!!!
    I have been hounding my congressmans office and also there was a judge in Harrisburg that is in remission from stage 4 ec so I contacted his office also.

    I'm glad Dad is doing better one day at a time honey.

    As always in my prayers,
    Kath
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #5
    Great news --- call and try
    Great news --- call and try to speak to either the chief of staff in the Governor's Office or someone in charge of constituent services. Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Florida, Tennesee and now PA - it is awesome what we have been able to accomplish so far --- but we have much left to do :)

    Check out http://ecan.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=Home Esophageal Cancer Awareness Website - the founder Mindy Mordecai - below is information from their website.

    April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month


    While ECAN worked with Congress for the first National Esophageal Cancer Awareness month, many members of our network have gained support of their state governments in declaring April statewide Esophageal Cancer Awareness month.

    Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida are among the states making a commitment to Esophageal Cancer awareness this month

    In Delaware, Governor Jack Markell has designated April Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month based on a request from ECAN supporter Cynthia Collins, whose father is undergoing chemo-radiation to fight Esophageal Cancer.

    In Kentucky, thanks to the efforts of ECAN supporter Kim Heburn Priest, whose father is battling Esophageal Cancer, Governor Steven Beshear declared April Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month in the Bluegrass State. Kim encouraged others to make similar efforts. Her work resulted in declarations in both Tennessee and Florida. Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen issued a proclamation after a request by Rolinda Nichols who lost her father to Esophageal Cancer in September of 2008. In Florida, Governor Charlie Christ has also proclaimed April Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month.

    Though all of the focus on health care reform put the effort on the back burner, ECAN is still working with Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes’ office to get a National Esophageal Cancer Month declared for April and we are hopeful a resolution will be filed shortly.
  • K_ann1015
    K_ann1015 Member Posts: 500
    #6
    MOE58 said:

    how do you do that?
    Tina

    I am not familiar on how to do that here in Oklahoma please advise?

    Thanks

    Lori

    Ps glad dad is doing better

    get your state governor's office to Proclaim EC awareness month
    Lori---
    Here is some info about getting a EC month in your state---it obviously does not need to be april---maybe we can get a different one each month until next year!. But also---Mindy from ECAN.org says that maybe we can make a bigger difference by sharing their Public service announcements with our local news agencies....I am offering to help. I will just plan on emailing and calling with in the time I have available. I have returned to work—just part time, but time is tight. Email her if you would like to do the same...
    Mindy Mintz Mordecai

    Eventually I think we may be trying to get this to be a national thing (esophageal cancer awareness & prevention month)—but in April---but you may be able to May this year for your state---because time is short---and you will always be able to look back and be proud of that!!! But of course your governor has to cooperate!.

    This is what I did in KY and suggest to others:

    1) contact your governors office through their website mail and make your request. (contact info below) I simply, briefly, but passionately told why I thought it was important, told about my connection to Esophageal Cancer and stressed that it would benefit ALL of my state’s constituents—how can they say no???. :) (email me again if you would like to see what I wrote to my governor)

    Here is a website that lists ALL the states legislators & governors contact info:
    http://conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm
    (It looks like when you click on the gov. link you get an email that you fill in)

    2) I think overlapping with email – fax & phone call is a good idea. They usually want to help their constituents

    3) When I heard back from the governor’s representative, he asked for “draft language”. EMAIL me bkpriest@insightbb.com if you want "draft language" for the actual proclamation. Feel free to use the same language, other states have I believe.

    Good luck---keep me in the loop-I am excited! Maybe in 5 years ---there may be more research funding or better tests—or prevention!
  • LKHorner64
    LKHorner64 Member Posts: 3
    #7
    Pennsylvania EC Awareness month
    It's funny that I saw your posting today. I didn't see it in the fall when I was searching for states with EC Awareness. I just sent information and a personal appeal to my local legislators to make April EC Awareness & Prevention month. Rep. Oberlander informed me that she started immediately on a resolution to do so. I wanted to make people aware from a local level up. There have been approximately six cases of EC within a 45-minute drive of our house in the last two years.

    My husband was diagnosed two years ago and we have decided that more people need to know about EC and what the causes are. We live in Clarion County in a little town named Rimersburg, just about 1 1/2 to 2 hours north of Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, my husband's doctors are all in Pittsburgh at UPMC Presby. He had his chemo at Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside.

    I will contact Rep. Oberlander and let her know that a resolution already exists. Funny that there hasn't been any publicity. What good is the resolution if no one knows it exists?


    Linda Horner
    Rimersburg, PA
  • LKHorner64
    LKHorner64 Member Posts: 3
    #8
    Pennsylvania EC Awareness month
    It's funny that I saw your posting today. I didn't see it in the fall when I was searching for states with EC Awareness. I just sent information and a personal appeal to my local legislators to make April EC Awareness & Prevention month. Rep. Oberlander informed me that she started immediately on a resolution to do so. I wanted to make people aware from a local level up. There have been approximately six cases of EC within a 45-minute drive of our house in the last two years.

    My husband was diagnosed two years ago and we have decided that more people need to know about EC and what the causes are. We live in Clarion County in a little town named Rimersburg, just about 1 1/2 to 2 hours north of Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, my husband's doctors are all in Pittsburgh at UPMC Presby. He had his chemo at Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside.

    I will contact Rep. Oberlander and let her know that a resolution already exists. Funny that there hasn't been any publicity. What good is the resolution if no one knows it exists?


    Linda Horner
    Rimersburg, PA
  • Pghmomma
    Pghmomma Member Posts: 141
    #9
    LKHorner64 said:

    Pennsylvania EC Awareness month
    It's funny that I saw your posting today. I didn't see it in the fall when I was searching for states with EC Awareness. I just sent information and a personal appeal to my local legislators to make April EC Awareness & Prevention month. Rep. Oberlander informed me that she started immediately on a resolution to do so. I wanted to make people aware from a local level up. There have been approximately six cases of EC within a 45-minute drive of our house in the last two years.

    My husband was diagnosed two years ago and we have decided that more people need to know about EC and what the causes are. We live in Clarion County in a little town named Rimersburg, just about 1 1/2 to 2 hours north of Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, my husband's doctors are all in Pittsburgh at UPMC Presby. He had his chemo at Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside.

    I will contact Rep. Oberlander and let her know that a resolution already exists. Funny that there hasn't been any publicity. What good is the resolution if no one knows it exists?


    Linda Horner
    Rimersburg, PA

    Linda
    Yes... It sure does exists. Such a wonderful thing that I did for my family! I think the problem is there is not enough of people contacting the media about EC awareness.

    My dad also received chemo at the hillman and his DR are from presby. My did had surgery in
    Dec of 2009. Went thur chemo great and then passed away in april of 2010.

    Best wishes
    Tina from PA
  • Jan101
    Jan101 Member Posts: 6
    #10
    That is absolutely cool.
    That is absolutely cool. Good job.

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