Flight for David

In college I had a professor that was once a television reporter. He told a bulging roomful of us, young and eager, but naïve, budding journalist that he discovered every time he skipped lunch his story was that much better. He used to survey the room after he dropped this comment and scan our faces. When his eyes hit mine I always blinked disbelievingly.

I got up at 4 am to do my first ever for publication multimedia project on a guy with ALS. David Ames was denied a commercial flight to undertake an experimental surgery, but was donated a private jet by a couple of anonymous donors. It was my idea and I had thought a lot about it. I planned out sound clips and visualized what photos I could shoot.

I went to work after the session and then much later continued working on the project after most everyone left for the day. I skipped lunch that day too, but it was that much better I think.

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Hope Street

Dr. Sandra Steingraber asks the audience to visualize breast cancer rates stretching back from the 1940’s to 2000 as a small girl walking along a scenic rural road. As the years pass, the girl matures and the flat road gradually begins to incline. The incline represents the increase in breast cancer rates, by the time the girl is in her late 30s she is practically climbing vertically.

Steingraber presents breast cancer as a human rights issue in her book “Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment.” She cautions against despair asking anyone in the audience to stand if they are a breast cancer survivor. Half the room stands. Steingraber says “when you were diagnosed you didn’t say that’s ok I’ll skip the chemo resign myself to die.”

Steingraber is hopeful and wide eyed and the room erupts in a standing ovation.