Growth Initiatives

There is nothing more bolting than to hear about the misfortunes of family and close friends, especially when it impacts young people. Likewise, there is nothing that makes me feel as fortunate and blessed as having healthy children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Sometimes it is sheer luck, and other times it’s due to taking necessary precautions. I am writing to you today to bring to light a most important precaution that is too often ignored, either because of “it can’t happen to me or “I never gave it a thought”. I am writing to heighten awareness and asking you to take action. During my return to the Boston area I re-connected with Jim Coghlin Sr. someone I knew many years earlier and who was following a passion to help others driven by one of those misfortunes of others.

In 2005, Jim Coghlin, Sr., Founder of the 15-40 Connection, sought a way to establish a permanent remembrance in honor of his friend, Mark Ungerer, who had died in 1995 from multiple myeloma. Prior to his death, Mark worked tirelessly to raise funds for cancer research and treatment in memory of his own son, David, who, in 1982 at the age of 16, succumbed to leukemia. In collaboration the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, MA, Jim established an Endowed Fellowship to support the work of the Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Research Program created by Dana-Farber in 2004.
During this process, Jim learned of a shocking gap in survival rates for this particular age group. Despite all of the cancer research advancements made since 1975, there was very little improvement in adolescent and young adult cancer survival rates. One of the primary reasons for this is a lack of awareness of cancer risk among this age group. This needs to change so now...The 15-40 Connection is taking action.

The mission of the 15-40 Connection is to create awareness that cancer is the number 1 disease related cause of death for 15 to 40-year-olds and to promote early detection through advocacy and awareness.

The 15-40 Connection (www.15-40.org) is dedicated to creating a world where adolescents and young adults take their medical care and cancer screenings seriously. Its objective is to motivate teens and young adults to take action when they notice changes in their normal health and to be strong self-advocates when their instincts tell them something is wrong. I am asking each one of you to please act – check out the web site (www.15-40.org), pass this information on, contribute either monetarily or with time, but most importantly, spread the word. This is an effort driven by a mission of “prevention”. Your help is needed. Thank you.