| September 2004 Missouri Regional Newsletter p9 |
| A native of Nashville, Tenn., Meeks has spent his adult life working with technology. He said he co-founded a company in Nashville to help those with disabilities use assistive technology.
Since moving to Kansas City in 1998, Meeks has worked a variety of jobs, although that's a sore point with him. Often, getting to job interviews is difficult for people with disabilities. And once there, they're sometimes judged by their appearance, not their abilities, Meeks said. �It frustrates me because just because I'm in a wheelchair doesn't mean I can't work,� he said. �I want to.� And that's been enough, Berter said, to get Meeks where he wants to go. �He doesn't let his disability stand in the way,� Berter said. �He thinks about what he can do, not what he can't do.� To talk with John you can contact him at [email protected] ACS News: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Childhood Cancer Progress and Resources Repeated advances against childhood cancer have been called a "medical miracle" because about 4 out of 5 children survive cancer today, a vast difference from the early 1960s, when childhood cancers were nearly always fatal. And steady advances continue to improve treatments and minimize or better manage side-effects. Sadly, not all children's cancers are easily treated yet, and childhood cancer still causes about 1,500 tragic, premature deaths each year. Children who are newly diagnosed -- an estimated 9,200 this year -- will receive the best care at one of the large pediatric cancer centers that study new treatments. Parents can find a leading pediatric cancer center with our search tool or by calling 1-800-ACS-2345. There are several types of childhood cancer, with leukemia, brain, and other central nervous system tumors affecting about half of the children with cancer. Some types are so rare, that local doctors may have little experience treating the disease, compared with those at a large pediatric cancer center. Breakthroughs Occur in Clinical Trials Better treatments have appeared more quickly for children than adults in the last 30 years in part because most parents have enrolled their children in clinical trials. These are the careful, scientific tests of new drugs and strategies with cancer patients who agree to participate. They are the bridge between the development of a new drug in the laboratory and the use of the drug by patients who need it. Parents can find open clinical trials with the following services: American Cancer Society/EmergingMed Matching Service Free, confidential search of more than 3,000 clinical trials. NCI Clinical Trials PDQ Search -- online or by phone at 1-800-4-CANCER. continued on page 10 |
 |