Update On A Man Who Is The Best Example Of The Indomitable Human Spirit That I Have Ever Seen -- Professor Randy Pausch

You know how they are always talking about heroes and how they are made. TV's loaded with such faux heroes, however, a former Carnegie Mellon professor by the name of Randy Pausch is the genuine article. Randy is dying of pancreatic cancer and has only a few months left to live. Yet, trouper that he is, Randy battles on each day attending speaking engagements whenever possible, to alert the world to the horrors of pancreatic cancer.

Several months ago, Randy's story was told to millions of Americans, when he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show one afternoon (along with world renown heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz) to discuss his plight. His emotive way of speaking was absolutely palpable as he addressed a national audience. And by the time Randy was through with his speech, I honestly don't think that there was a dry eye left in Oprah's studio audience.

Unfortunately, more recently Randy was hospitalized when the pancreatic cancer that he is afflicted with caused the fluids in his body to build up to such dangerous levels that his organs had begun to rapidly fail. Fortunately, with excellent medical care and the right medications, Randy was able to dodge death's bullet for a short while longer. And amazingly enough, upon his release from the hospital, he traveled to Congress to speak on behalf of other pancreatic patients, and to instill within these representatives the need for increased funding for pancreatic cancer research.

As of March 19TH, 2008, Randy has been confined to bed for extensive exhaustion. Hopefully, he will be able to rebound again, yet the odds against his being able to continue at the rate that he has are highly unfavorable. In truth, his still being alive given the insidiousness of the illness he faces (as well as his rigorous schedule), is in and of itself miraculous.

So please keep Randy, his Family and all of those suffering with pancreatic cancer (and for that matter any terminal illnesses) in your thoughts and prayers. Randy's situation is a very special one in that it teaches all of us just how indomitable and remarkable the human spirit is.

Randy, you truly are one of a kind.

Updates on Randy's condition can be seen at the following Website:

http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/


See this amazing story of courage and compassion here:

A video which Randy created for his young children that has turned into a global phenomenon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HqdnjgkExY