Nick pointed to a suit-clad woman in the front of the audience as murmurs began to circulate throughout the auditorium.
“You really think you can find the magic bullet to cure cancer?”
she asked with a British accent.
“Yes, we do,” he responded.
“But cancer is so complex and in so many forms as it attacks the
body, your request is indeed like finding a needle in a haystack.” Dr. Wall stepped up to the microphone. “May I, Mr. Harris?” “By all means, Dr. Wall.”
“I understand your pessimism, but pessimism changes nothing. Change comes from commitment to making a difference no matter how impossible the task seems. We would rather fail while attempting to do something great than fail by doing nothing at all. I have been here at St. Theresa’s for many, many years. Dr. White has been virtually a part of this institution since she was an eight- year-old patient. I have to say, I was quick to tell Mr. Harris his idea was impossible. Then I watched as he led one, then two, and then a swarm of people to think, ‘What if?’ We can focus on the difficulty, or we can focus on the lives we might save. So, yes, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack, but if we do, think about the people we will save. Out there are chemists, researchers, and scientists who have felt the loss of a loved one to cancer and know the disease continues to kill, and one of them may be the very person who finds a clue to unlocking this mystery. I know there will be those who say this will be an impossible request. In fact, it would be a miracle. Well, I for one have seen miracles, and one of them is standing right here.”
Dr. Wall moved away from the lectern and put his arm around Shelly. She smiled as the room suddenly erupted in a sea of questions. Nick raised his arms, attempting to keep order. “One at a time, please,” he yelled.