In the articles in this series, I explained what a clinical trial is and how to access one. Currently, there are 437,173 research studies registered with clinicaltrials.gov. They are conducted in more than 220 countries, with just under half being done within the U.S.A. in all 50 states. They offer hope to patients with serious illnesses, yet finding and participating in one is a daunting process. My vision is to offer members of our community hope through a chesed organization that would walk with them during this very frightening time in their and their family’s lives. I call this new entity Path to Hope, for now, and its purpose would be to provide the expertise and energy to support, guide, and advise patients and their families as they search for and enter clinical trials. I pray that such a non-profit will be formed soon. 

Why, you might ask, is Dan Edelman writing articles about clinical trials? In a few words, I believe we who support those suffering from illness can do better. It is all so personal. Before the pandemic,, I met with a woman and her husband to discuss clinical trials. She had lived with stage 4 breast cancer for the previous five years, surviving beyond her initial prognosis, thank G-d. I spent an hour-and-a-half with them, and they told me afterwards that no one, not even their oncologist, had spent so much time with them discussing options. Sadly, just after entering a clinical trial in Boston, she passed away leaving a bereft husband, orphans, and family. Now, when I go to the Baltimore cemetery where my grandparents and in-laws are interred, I also stop by her kever (grave). I express how sorry I am that we could not save her life and promise I will do better for others suffering from cancer; these articles are part of that promise. I pray that scientists and medical professionals who read these articles will be inspired to do better for their charges.

It was November of 2001, shortly after the savage attacks of 9/11, and America was gripped with fear of illness and death from the anthrax envelopes sent to government officials. The U.S. government was concerned about a much larger biological attack against Americans with a more potent infectious agent – smallpox virus. Smallpox vaccinations had ended in 1972 after smallpox was eradicated in the U.S.A. Millions of Americans thus lacked immunity to the virus. To prepare for a possible smallpox attack, the University of Maryland School of Medicine opened a clinical trial. Because there was a limited supply of the smallpox vaccinia vaccine, the question was whether a reduced dose of the vaccine could generate a sufficient immune response to protect the population.

As Jews, we lead our lives accompanied by G-d’s hand, with meaning and connection, through the good times and the bitter times. Unfortunately, there are a number of families among the readership of the Where What When that are going through the bitterness of illness, cancer in particular. A lack of knowledge and opportunity can heighten the difficulties of these life troubles, whereas the right information can help bring hope and more meaning to them.

Let me share a true story that exemplifies this: Mr. L was going through a bitter time back in early 2016, and I personally witnessed how his dire situation gained a large measure of hope four months later in June of that year. At that time, I emailed the following note to my National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bnos Yisroel Bridge Program interns: