I was quite honored last week to get a copy of the new Breast Cancer Resource Guide of Massachusetts, which lists This is True as a leading Humor Resource for victims of breast cancer. They sent it to me for a very special reason.
The Resource Guide is an excellent compendium of information and pointers toward more details about this killer disease, against which progress is being made. It includes a brief story I told them, which I will take the space to repeat here:
Being online makes it very easy for readers to reply to authors. The feedback you get from readers can really help put things in perspective, like this one did for me:
“Randy, I just wanted to say ‘thanks’ for helping make the beginning of my day a very special one. I’m recovering from breast cancer and laughing is one of the best ‘healers’ I can think of to help get through. Please keep up the wonderful work you’re doing. Much love & many hugs. Patti.”
I was very nearly speechless when I got this, and that’s pretty unusual for me! I had received a nearly identical message about two years before; it was my pleasure to put the two women in touch with each other. They live on opposite coasts of the U.S.; is there any other medium that could have helped these two ladies find each other? The net is very, very powerful.
– – –
The Guide was published by the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester …and they let their “BreastEd.org” Internet domain expire. After all this time, so many organizations still don’t grasp the importance of maintaining an online presence — sigh!