works at St. Theresa’s Children’s Hospital in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Shelly first came to St. Theresa’s in 1972, when she was eight years old, within the first few months of its opening. She had a cancerous mass in her chest that was slowly killing her.
“There was one doctor on duty who met her in the lobby when she arrived and began treating her. To his surprise, four months later, that cancer would disappear. Shelly White became the first miracle at St. Theresa’s, but although she survived, her roommate, Kristen, did not. The physician who treated her was Dr. Gregory Wall, whose picture is now showing on the screen. Today, thirty- five years later, he continues to practice, and Dr. White now works alongside him. He is her mentor, a father figure, and a wonderful individual. Together, they save lives at St. Theresa’s, along with an extraordinary staff of men and women who are focused on the ultimate goal: curing cancer. In Kristen’s memory, Drs. White and Wall created the Kristen Foundation, which brings money to the hospital. Money goes for playground equipment, microscopes, the list goes on and on, yet the goal remains the same at the Kristen Foundation and St. Theresa’s—do what needs to be done to save lives, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason I am here tonight.
“Recently, someone I admire and love very much said something that is worth repeating: ‘The world is driven by money.’ This came up after we were wondering why, after all these years, we still cannot stop cancer. Sure, we can treat it, we can make it go into remission, but for too many, cancer’s a death sentence. The words ‘pancreatic cancer’ will stop anybody in their tracks. So will lung cancer. All of these diseases, all these promised breakthroughs, and yet we hear the same thing over and over again: ‘Just a few more years.’ We launch people into space, yet we are helpless to stop a disease that keeps taking our loved ones. After years of telethons, cancer walks, clinical trials, and galas, what do we have to show for it? Well, the organizations will tell you they are making progress with new treatments and slowly turning the table on cancer. While there is some truth to that, I am here to tell you that if we are turning the table on cancer, it must be one helluva table. After seeing my mom pass away before my eyes, I believe this progress is much too slow. The hole they leave in our hearts when they say goodbye is much too big. Many of those of you in