Young Lives

Today I heard about Alicia Parlette's death.
Five years ago at age 23 she learned she had a rare type of sarcoma. That was 2005. She kept a blog of her experiences for about 2 years. She was a writer and was employed by the San Francisco Chronicle as a copy editor when she was diagnosed. Her blog is at http://www.sfgate.com/alicia.

She had a deadly and very rare type of sarcoma, however,like most sarcoma patients she was young. Looking through her blog and the photos taken by the professional photographer assigned to her, you see her acting like a young single woman at the beginning of life. I also saw her with many of the machines I know well, in examination rooms, with concerned family and at a second opinion visit to MD Anderson.

At her age I was a young mother, Sanford graduate student's wife and struggling into adulthood.

I did not have to learn the lessons serious illness taught her until I had entered the sunset period of my life. Hopefully as extended a sunset as modern life expectancy promises. Anyway, I am not starting a new career or raising kids.

I hope we can find cures for sarcomas and save hopeful and promising lives like Alicia's.