Welcome Letter and Full Meeting Details
Click here to return to the Symposium Registration and Hotel Reservation Page Dear meso community members and friends,
On Thursday you will have meetings (which we will have scheduled for you in advance) with the offices of your House Representative and two Senators. After breakfast together and an orientation to prepare you on Effective Advocacy and the Case for Federal Meso Research Funding, we will travel to Capitol Hill. Using the power of your personal story, you will have the opportunity to urge your federal leaders to commit federal funding to the medical research which can cure this disease, and to finally ban asbestos.
Friday will focus on support for individuals impacted by mesothelioma and for the community as a whole. We will begin with breakfast together and then a community meeting discussing the work of the Meso Foundation and the opportunities to participate in the mission to cure meso. Friday morning will also include the Tribute Ceremony. This is a special time for bereaved family members and the whole community to honor and remember loved ones lost to meso, grieve together, comfort each other, move toward healing, and rededicate ourselves to ending this disease. During the ceremony, we will be acknowledging all the names on the Tribute Wall, and also building a special Tribute collage from individual photographs. If you have lost a loved one to meso, we encourage you to make sure their name is included on the Tribute Wall, bring their photo, and honor them with us in the Tribute Ceremony. Washington, DC hospice will be present to facilitate bereavement support. The differing needs of patients, caregivers and those who have lost a loved one will be addressed in detail on Friday through separate break-out groups. These groups include activities such as counseling in social security, bereavement, accupuncture, guided imagery and journaling. Professionals will facilitate these groups to provide practical coping information, teach concrete, usable tools for self-care, and promote group interaction and support. Friday afternoon will include a social lunch and an interactive, expert roundtable on hot topics in mesothelioma including:
For many, the highlight of each year’s symposium is the Celebration of Hope gala dinner, which will be Friday evening. Patients in attendance will be recognized and honored. The recipients of the Research Pioneer Award, the Klaus Brauch Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Congressman Bruce Vento Hope Builder Award will be named. Perhaps the best part of the evening is simply the opportunity to be together and – even in the face of a disease as difficult as mesothelioma – feel the warmth of fellowship, the support, and the hope that community brings.
The presentations will cover in detail the following topics:
Posters of exciting research funded by the Meso Foundation will be available for viewing throughout the day. Lunch will offer a special opportunity to “Meet the Experts,” as expert mesothelioma physicians, researchers, and nurses will be spread among the tables for informal interaction. The meeting will close at approximately We are fortunate to have two of the world’s leading meso experts as the Symposium co-chairs, Nicholas Vogelzang, M.D., Director of the Nevada Cancer Institute and Chairman of the Meso Foundation’s Board of Directors; and Raffit Hassan, M.D., an Investigator and Section Chief at the National Cancer Institute and Chairman of the Meso Foundation’s Science Advisory Board. We are also fortunate to have been able to negotiate an economical rate at a fantastic hotel. The historic Omni Shoreham features deluxe, comfortable rooms and meeting space and a resort-style pool. It is nestled in Along with the co-chairs, it is my privilege to invite you to attend the Symposium and participate in the hope for a cure. I look forward to seeing you there! Yours in the fight, Christopher E. Hahn Click here to return to the Symposium Registration and Hotel Reservation Page |
