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The Last Lecture
October 30, 2007 | 23 Comments
If you were a professor, knew you had just a few months to live, and you had one last lecture, what would you say to your students?
Randy Pausch is a married father of three, a very popular Professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University – and he is dying. He is suffering from pancreatic cancer, and doctors say he has only a few months to live.
In September 2007, he gave a final lecture to his students at Carnegie Mellon. There’s an academic tradition called the ‘Last Lecture.’ For Randy Pausch, it wasn’t hypothetical. Here’s a person so full of energy and with such clarity of thought, it’s hard to believe he’s dying. We all are. In his case, though, he knows it’s happening in months, maybe weeks.
Watch last lecture HERE.
Also check the article and video at the Wall street Journal.
Pancreatic cancer:
Is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
Receives the least amount of federal research dollars among all leading cancers.
Gets little public attention.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. You can support research into curing pancreatic cancer via the Lustgarten foundation, and/or PanCan.
We, in the U.S., can help by joining the the One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) Coalition to promote a unified message to Congress to let them know that it is critical that they support the higher Senate funding level for cancer research!
Step 1: Print out the SCIENCE STALLED = LIVES LOST flyer
Step 2: Handwrite a message on it that says, “Please tell your leadership to support the Senate funding level in the Labor-HHS bill!” and then write in your name and address.
Step 3: Fax, hand-deliver, or mail the flyer to your Senators’ and Representative’s STATE/DISTRICT* office.
Click here to look up the district office address and fax number for your local Representative and Senators. You only need to print out one copy of the flyer as the exact same handwritten message can be used for your two Senators and your Representative.
*Please note that we are specifically asking that you send the flyer to your elected official’s local offices and not their Washington, DC offices.
Filed Under: Defeat Cancer, last-lecture, MUSINGS, pancreatic-cancer-awareness-month, Randy-Pausch
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23 Comments
had read the article last week, those 3 kids and his lecture made me cry
Some cope very well with the impending death and some give up before it happens! Kudos to him.
So sad…Wonder why life shocks one always………!
Shame on us that we still did not come up with a cure for cancer amid all the advanced technologies we discover. Death is a huge limitation to one’s achievement.We have no other way than to accept it.Thanks J&B for posting the links for us. Will check them out.
I have seen this episode on Oprah and its so heart wrenching but he is so optimistic about Life, there is a lot to learn from him. Nice post
Its such a drawback that this disease is advancing & our reasearch on cure is still not there. I felt real bad after reading the story…. I can understand, what the family must be going through.. Recently i lost my mom to this killer disease.. I miss her.
Pancreatic cancer also is one with least survival %. I remember reading it in BBC.
KUDOS to Randy!
i cried when i saw his story in the today show….it’s just too sad..but i admire his and his family’s courage..but it is waay too sad
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Will definitely check it out.
Thank you for the links Bee & Jai.
My heart is heavy after reading this. I fear illness of any form. Have seen my son in that critical position before. Will check out the links. Thanks for sharing.
Thats reslly sad…!Will check those links….
What an amazing guy!
My daughter has juvenile (type 1) diabetes. She depends on insulin to live. Every three months we go to Joslin clinic — thankfully she has the best care in the world, right in our own backyard. Every time we go, we remind one another — there is always someone worse off. Thank you for the inspirational post, guys.
Very sad …my friends mother also passed away due to this cancer only .Very difficult and hard to take
now i am going to walk around wiht a heavy heart all day
thank you for bringing awareness on this jay n bee…
I am reading this tears and a heavy heart Bee as my dearest dad passed away with pancreatic cancer,Everyone were quite optimitistic that he will pull through or extend over but him being a doctor knew that its 6 months for him. He was diagnosed with this cancer on 6th feb his birthday and exactly 6 months after on 22nd aug, he left us. its so hurting when it happens so suddenly to a healthy person.
I always block myself when i see sorrow or pain, Still i am not strong enough to deal with my pain Bee, It hurts so much!!!!Felt like sharing with you!!
So sad to hear someone going through this now!! its hard really hard!!
Seeing anyone suffer from cancer is really hard…One of my dad’s cousins, a university professor passed away when I was still at school…He was very tall and with a robust physique and along with his boisterous personality,was adored by his students and everyone in the family.Every time my dad came back after visiting him during those days (they were really close), he would burst into tears.When I first saw him during his illness, he had already started to waste away…I can still remember how shocked I was to see this once huge man , now reduced to a skeletal representation of his former self.His booming voice was now a mere croak. That scene still haunts me at times.He was just 42,happily married and blest with two great sons, who were so young at that time.
Sorry for taking up so much of your space, but the very mention of cancer reminds me of him.
What a heartwarming post, you are spreading so much awareness.
Thank you for posting this – I read about this lecture elsewhere a week or so back and admired him for his spirit – those kids will have memories of an incredibly inspiring father!
I have been at that point when there is very little time left – one of the lucky ones I guess who came back from the brink- but sometimes death staring in your face makes you stronger than ever and gives you reserves you didnt even know existed in you.
Its the people left behind who suffer the most, and you grieve thinking about them.
Raji
My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer while I was still in primary school. He was pretty old but that still doesn’t explain to me why someone with so much vigour suddenly does an about turn and passes away in a matter of weeks. It bothers me that after so many years there are still no answers in terms of both prevention and prognosis.
Touching story! It takes great courage to face death peacefully! Amazing! :bow:
Its sooooo hard reading this post today – just a week after my hubby being diagnosed with cancer. He is 31. Its not yet confirmed the pathology report is yet to come.
I still cannot bring myself to terms that such a healthy guy full of zest and run for life can still have something like thing going on inside him…The WORST thing is that there is nothing you can do to prevent this.
But Doctors are hopeful so am I.
I keep coming back to your site to get info about it and about survivor stories.
Pray for my hubby !!
your hubby and you are in our thoughts. please check out this support group.
http://www.redtoenail.org/
you may also find this site for caregivers useful.
http://www.cancer-news-watch.com/
best wishes to you and your family. do keep us updated.
bee and jai