Frank Clifford’s Good News

I ran into Frank last month at a friend’s birthday party. It was then he told me about his bladder cancer and the inability of Yale’s Smilow Cancer Center to get the chemo drug he needs.

I wrote about Frank Clifford last year. He works in the basement under the Sterling Library at Yale. Frank’s job is making sure the remembrances of Holocaust survivors are properly digitized.

I ran into Frank last month at a friend’s birthday party. It was then he told me about his bladder cancer and the inability of Yale’s Smilow Cancer Center to get the chemo drug he needs.

Isn’t that a kick in the pants? No one is making the drug, probably because there isn’t enough profit. There’s your death panel!

I asked Frank if there was anything I could do? He told me he was asking all his friends with connections to get the word out. I went to Bill Weir, a few rows down in the Courant newsroom.

This story was the result. Frank was pleased. Me too.

Frank’s story was also publicized in other papers and on TV.

Today he posted this on Facebook.

The “squeaky wheel” will get treatment!

I want to thank everyone for writing in to their Congressmen and Senators. I received a phone call tonight from Senator Dick Blumenthal (D-CT) this evening, telling me that he has successfully resolved the issue in getting the pharmaceutical companies to resume manufacturing mitomycin (the chemo drug that’s been unavailable for me and others). He has agreed to work together with the Smilow Cancer Center in New Haven to resolve the problems with shortages with other vital chemo drugs.

I can’t thank Senator Blumenthal and his staff enough. His aide, Grady Keefe spent a great deal of time trying to resolve this problem. We spoke quite a bit on the phone discussing the particulars of my case.

I also want to thank Jocelyn Maminta from channel 8, and Bill Weir from the Hartford Courant, who both featured stories about my plight. A special round of applause goes to Geoff Fox, who has been incredibly supportive to me.

I was getting a bit leery of Facebook lately, but I must say, that my friends online came to the plate and made a difference. I am forever grateful to a great many people.

The problem is not over, but there are tools we can use to change things. I will try to keep on top of this situation for the many people out there who are in a similar situation.

WE can change things!

Thank you everyone,
Frank

Frank’s a good guy. This is a break he deserves. I couldn’t be happier.

8 thoughts on “Frank Clifford’s Good News”

  1. Wonderful and heartwarming…..I have a couple of friends fighting cancer. So glad to hear the drug Frank needs is available! I hope it extends to others where ever they may be who needs that particular drug!!

  2. Great story and great news! I have seen several of these stories on drug shortages lately.
    Please keep up the good work,helping all of these people who need it. You make a difference!

  3. Thanks, Geoff, for helping Frank get the treatment he needs. It is wonderful to see the system work in favor of the good guys, and Frank is most certainly one of the best.

  4. Thank you for helping this gentleman, I glad he could get the help and you had the connections to do it. With that said, IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN in this country or any other that ANYONE could not get a life saving or at least a life prolonging drug because some GREEDY and BOTTOM LINE company can not “MAKE ENOUGH MONEY OFF IT” !!! Is this what we have become, “IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY YOU LIVE, YOU DON’T YOU DIE”??? Since when is money the ONLY thing worth having? How about human COMPASSION for our fellow human beings?? My God if $$$ is all we are worth,then we are WORTHLESS !!!Have you EVER seen a hearse follwed by a Brink’s truck ?? I can only hope that this will wake a few executives up and make ALL drugs available to ANYONE who needs them.

  5. I am very happy for your friend.
    Its just very sad that others went without because they had no one to speak on their behalf.

  6. WOW Geoff!!
    Talk about Karma!!!…..
    It does NOT seem like that long ago. When we supported YOU publically via Facebook. My compnay does work in that building and i know the area in which Frank works….
    Great job in bringing his story to the forefront….May these drugs save him and some of our loved one’s someday!!!

  7. Sometimes it does take rattling the cage to get the ball rolling.
    Glad you were able to do that, geoff.
    My prayers and thoughts go out to Frank for a full recovery.

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