WASHINGTON, July 29 Four-Time World Series champion and legendary Major League Baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry will be featured on this month's episode of Sharing Miracles - a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. Sharing Miracles airs every Sunday morning on more than 300 television stations nationwide.
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Darryl Strawberry burst onto the baseball scene at a young age, joining the New York Mets at only 21 years old and earning National League Rookie-of-the-Year honors. During his storied career, he was named to the All-Star team eight years in a row; led the New York Yankees and Mets to four World Series Championships; won the Silver Slugger Award twice; and was only the tenth player in MLB history to join the 30/30 club, hitting 39 home runs and stealing 36 bases in 1987 while with the Mets.
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However, his future in baseball looked uncertain in 1998, when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. In this month's episode of Sharing Miracles, Strawberry tells how he ignored his symptoms prior to receiving his diagnosis: "Being an athlete, I didn't say anything about it to anyone. Instead, I drank Maalox every day when I arrived at the ballpark."
Eventually, he decided to see a doctor. When he received his diagnosis, he says, he was devastated. "My mother had passed away in 1996 from terminal breast cancer at such a young age - 55 - that I figured I was going to be dying at a young age, too."
Fortunately, his cancer was treatable, and he was able to return to baseball. However, only two years later, the cancer returned - and this time, the treatment would be much more invasive, requiring chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor as well as a kidney.
The therapy was successful, and Strawberry now lives life cancer-free. However, his road to survival was a long, difficult one. "There were times during therapy - both the first time and during the reoccurrence - when I wanted to give up. However, like in baseball, I had to rise to the occasion. This, of course, was a much more difficult test, but I was determined to beat cancer."
Now he spreads the word about his experience and encourages hope among his fellow cancer patients. "My message to people battling cancer is, 'Don't ever give up the fight. You're in a tremendous fight, and it's not going to be easy. There will be some long, painful days that you'll have to walk through. But keep your head up.'"
The episode also includes interviews with former Philadelphia Phillies all-star and ESPN commentator John Kruk and former New York Mets announcer Dave Cohen, who provide insight into Strawberry's baseball career.
The cancer that struck Strawberry, colon cancer, affects one in 18 Americans, according to the National Cancer Institute. This year alone, 148,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease and 50,000 will die.
That's why America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are dedicated to the discovery and development of new treatments for cancer. In fact, 70 new medicines are currently being developed to fight colon cancer.
Speaking in the new episode about these potential new medicines being studied for colon cancer is Amgen scientist Dr. David Reese, who discusses current treatments involving surgery and chemotherapy, as well as "some of the new targeted biologic agents that are directly attacking the generic mutations in the cancer cell."
Upcoming episodes of Sharing Miracles will feature actor Danny Glover, who battled epilepsy, and former Philadelphia Phillies all-star John Kruk.
Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, a breast cancer advocate; Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Naomi Judd, who overcame Hepatitis C; pioneering rapper and actor Ice-T, who speaks about his battle with heart disease; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Football Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka, who suffers from heart disease; Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma; two-time NCAA tournament-winning University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who has overcome cancer three times; NBA Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins; Boston Red Sox star pitcher Jon Lester, who has battled leukemia; Emmy-nominated former star of Family Ties Meredith Baxter, who survived breast cancer; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol), Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder), and Greg Louganis (HIV); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks; and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and Super Bowl Champion Len Dawson, who survived prostate cancer.
The new episode debuts August 2. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings on the following network-affiliated stations: WDCA-TV, Washington, DC, 9 am-9:30 am; WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am; WUTB-TV, Baltimore, MD, 9 am-9:30 am; WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon; KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT, 7:30 am-8:00 am; KVMY-TV, Las Vegas, NV, 9 am-9:30 am; KABB-TV, San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am; WCTX-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT, 9 am-9:30 am; WRAZ-TV, Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8:00 am; WNYA-TV, Albany, NY, 8 am-8:30 am; KAME-TV, Reno, NV, 9 am-9:30 am; WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8:00 am; WTWC-TV, Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am; WCIA-TV, Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11 am; WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am; WNAC-TV, Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11:00 am; WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am; WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:30 am-12 noon; WMTW-TV, Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon; KHBB-TV, Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am; WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am; WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am; KFBB-TV, Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am; KDEV-TV, Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am; WTOV-TV, Rockford, IL, 10:30 am-11:00 am; and KGEM-TV, Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am.
The show also airs on 282 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to www.sharingmiracles.com.
Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Anchorage, AK; Decatur, AL; Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Tempe, AZ; Bath, ME; Casa Grande, AZ; Chino Valley, AZ; Anaheim, CA; Compton, CA; Coralville, CO; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pacifica, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; San Andreas, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Arvada, CO; Aurora, CO; Fort Collins, CO; Golden, CO; Longmont, CO; Northglenn, CO; Thornton, CO; Bridgeport, CT; East Haven, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Simsbury, CT; Wallingford, CT; Brooksville, FL; Cape Coral, FL; Coral Springs, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Fort Myers, FL; MacDill AFB, FL; Tampa, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Vero Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, GA; Douglasville, GA; Fort Oglethorpe, GA; Hilo, HI; Ames, IA; Des Moines, IA; Fairfield, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Boise, ID; Coeur d'Alene, ID ; Moscow, ID; Addison, IL; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Darien, IL; Galesburg, IL; Glen Ellyn, IL; Glenview, IL; Joliet, IL; Lake Forest, IL; Naperville, IL; Plainfield, IL; Romeoville, IL; Urbana, IL; Wheaton, IL; Austin, IN; Bloomington, IN; Connersville, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Richmond, IN; Haysville, KS; Lawrence, KS; Olathe, KS; Ottawa, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Louisville, KY; Bossier City, LA; Houma, LA; Lafayette, LA; Mandeville, LA; New Orleans, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Brookline, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; Easthampton, MA; Foxboro, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Leominster, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Sandwich, MA; Wakefield, MA; Worcester, MA; Bel Air, MD; Columbia, MD; Easton, MD; Greenbelt, MD; Largo, MD; Rockville, MD; Bath, ME; Boothbay Harbor, ME; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Madison, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Monroe, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Wyandotte, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Brentwood, MI; Columbia, MO; Independence, MO; Ste. Genevieve, MO; Hillsboro, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Great Falls, MT; Helena, MT; Albemarle, NC; Charlotte, NC; Knightdale, NC; New Bern, NC; Fargo, ND; Grand Island, NE; Hastings, NE; Lincoln, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Derry, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Wolfeboro, NH; Bloomfield, NJ; Metuchen, NJ; Piscataway, NJ; Pomona, NJ; Princeton, NJ; Statewide, NJ; Wayne, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Santa Fe, NM; Taos, NM; Boulder City, NV; Carson City, NV; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Penfield, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Athens, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Defiance, OH; Fairborn, OH; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Medina, OH; Middletown, OH; Norwood, OH; Troy, OH; Wadsworth, OH; Perry, OK; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Ardmore, PA; Berwyn, PA; Bethel Park, PA; Gettysburg, PA; Harrisburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Moon Township, PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Wayne, PA; York, PA; Rockhill, SC; Union, SC; Clarksville, TN; Franklin, TN; Germantown, TN; Murfreesboro, TN; Arlington, TX; College Station, TX; Denton, TX; Houston, TX; Kingsville, TX; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Vernal, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Herndon, VA; Norfolk, VA; Roanoke, VA; Suffolk, VA; Barre, VT; Bellow Falls, VT; Bristol, VT; Burlington, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Newport, VT; Springfield, VT; Waitsfield, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Ellensburg, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Dodgeville, WI; Eau Claire, WI; Hartford, WI; Janesville, WI; Lake Mills, WI; Kenosha, WI; Madison, WI; Merrill, WI; Muskego, WI; New London, WI; Reedsburg, WI; River Falls, WI; Sun Prairie, WI; Superior, WI; Waterloo, WI; Wausau, WI; Whitehall, WI; Wisconsin Rapids, WI; Huntington, WV; and Summersville, WV.
The show's corresponding Web site, www.sharingmiracles.com, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.
The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.
PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org
For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/
For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For more information on public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org
For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info
SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
