Posted on 09/15/2011 9:55:39 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Heather Burcham died in 2007 when she was 31. Cervical cancer killed her. She was misdiagnosed at age 26, and by the time she knew she had cancer, it was too late for effective treatment.
But she changed lives by living hers so passionately.
She was deeply religious, quick-witted, loving, with a quirky sense of humor; and she was determined to save other young women. Her passion for a cause made her a "Person of the Week" on ABC's "World News" program in 2007. Heather likely would have been shouting from the rooftops in frustration, listening to the current political debate about the HPV vaccine.
For her, the HPV vaccine was about saving lives, not politics, not campaign donations. She probably would have been heartbroken to hear Texas Gov. Rick Perry backtrack from his commitment to have girls vaccinated against cervical cancer.
Perry made her the poster child for his HPV executive decision, and spoke eloquently at her funeral. What a difference four years later as he debates the topic with other Republican candidates.
Her words to ABC News in 2007 still resonate, in light of the current debate in which this one face of the disease has been lost amid the political rhetoric.
"I don't want to have died in vain," she said. "I don't want my life to have no purpose whatsoever, and if I can help spread the word about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, then I haven't lived in vain."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
The ONLY one who said that was you, Grunthor.
Please also let us know why/how she was misdiagnosed.
Needs to be said.
Rick Huckaperry, compassionate republican.
Has the Southern Poverty Law Center weighed in yet on this?
“Please also let us know why/how she was misdiagnosed.”
I’m no doctor.
Never claimed to be a doctor.
Do you also oppose the whooping cough and measles vaccines?
The vaccine may not have kept her from getting cancer anyway. I would NEVER take anything like this and if I had a daughter, I would not want her to take it either. You can still get cervical cancer whether or not you take this vaccine!
Plus there is NO way to know how this will affect you for the rest of your life or your offspring!
You don’t think that in 10 years of Texas politics, that this stuff wouldn’t have already been trotted out in Austin?
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I think we need to hear what Governor Perry’s saying. He’s saying that his policy was right. He believes that what he did was right. He thinks he went about it the wrong way.
I believe your policy is wrong. Why — ladies and gentlemen, why do we inoculate people with vaccines in public schools? Because we’re afraid of those diseases being communicable between people at school. And therefore, to protect the rest of the people at school, we have vaccinations to protect those children.
Unless Texas has a very progressive way of communicating diseases in their school by way of their curriculum, then there is no government purpose served for having little girls inoculated at the force and compulsion of the government. This is big government run amok. It is bad policy, and it should not have been done.
There is no spinning going on here, nor is any needed. I am making fun of people that seem to believe that the compassionate policy would be to allow sluts to die.
Lucky for you, had you lived in Texas, you would have been able to opt-out of the vaccine.
I also pray that your daughters don’t get cervical cancer, because if they do, it will be on you.
Says the guy who just equated reasonable problems with Perry's action in this case to wanting women to die and outlawing sex?
You and the rest of the Perrycites don't want any of his record exposed. At least now. After the election when the Dems and media do it for us, you'll be able to say 'So, what, Obama did the same thing!!'.
And we'll have legitimized corrupt behavior and sink deeper into the abyss. w00 h00.
Speaking of the last debate, did you notice how Romney was attacked by Palin and Bachmann?
Me either.
“at the force and compulsion of the government”
opt-out.
Whooping cough and measles are spread by casual contact. You can get them by simply sitting next to somebody who is infected.
Do you oppose requiring everyone must have the flu shot? The flu is very contagious and kills people every year.
How are these transmitted?
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