He was 56 years old, worth billions of dollars, and liked black turtlenecks.
He transformed the world of technology, and ran a shrewd corporate empire that managed to make $1,300 computers and $200 phones an American household necessity - in a world where 1.4 billion people live on less than US$1.25 a day.
Despite the media reports, Steve Jobs did not die of pancreatic cancer.
He did not have pancreatic cancer - he had a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) in the islet cells of his pancreas. NETs are not a "rare form of pancreatic cancer" - they are a different disease all together... one that Jobs and I share.
NET cancers are rare, can occur in several organs in the body, and behave differently than any other type of cancer out there. They are so rare in fact that their "cancer ribbon" is zebra striped - to remind doctors that when they hear hoof beats don't just think horses, also consider zebras.
When Steve Jobs died, an unprecedented opportunity to raise awareness and support for the NET community died with him.
Last year was the first Worldwide NET Cancer Awareness Day (Nov. 10th), and I actually wrote to Steve Jobs, asking for his support... I didn't get a reply; I wasn't really expecting one. Still, that was one "launch" I wish he would have shown up for. I hope the financial stability of Apple stock was worth the price of his silence.
A Big THANK YOU To the News Guys Who Got it Right:
San Francisco Chronicle: Steve Jobs Waged Eight-Year Health Fight After Rare Cancer Diagnosis (October 6, 20011)
NPR: With A Spotlight on Jobs, Time To Talk About Cancer (August 25, 2011)
Just saw this post and wanted to let you know that when he died I literally told all my friends here what you told us! How he actually had a NET cancer and was just not going public about it and also how you wrote him a letter! Haha, I find myself talking about your class more often that you'd think. Miss ya!
ReplyDeleteWow! That's so awesome!!!! Thanks Carmela
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