My Name is Linda Hoetger, I am asking for your support for the millions of families impacted with prostate cancer. Many who live in your community and are not ready to speak up yet and share their journey. I have become an active advocate and helping them along the way. On June 19, 2009, my life forever changed when my husband Ray and I were given the devastating news that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Ray is a 20 year Veteran of the United States Air Force. After he graduated from Kingston High School in 1970. He enlisted in the Air Force as a Firefighter and served 4 years in that career field state side and in England. Being a firefighter there were countless contaminates used to distinguish fires and also used to decontaminate the military airplanes. Also herbicides were sprayed around the military installations to control the weeds and foilage. We believe that Ray's military career is what caused his prostae cancer. He is the oldest of three sons in the family and is the only one with prostate cancer. His brothers never enlisted in the military. Though Ray never stepped boots in Vietnam, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer nd the children have been affected with birth defects . Two marriages and seven children of which five of the seven have some kind of birth defect. His first son from his first marriage died at eight days old from a heart condition, as well as his second child was born prematurely. His third child was born with out birth defects. When we married in 1983, I had dreams of always having a healthy happy family. Our first son was born in 1984, with a VSD (Ventricial Septcial Defect). A year later our second son was born with webbed toes on both feet. Our third son was born healthy, our fourth son was born with 1-4 heart murmersand lung problems. All of our sons have grown up now. The older sons are in their thirties and our youngest is twenty-nine. I worry that they have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. I never want them to have to go through the journey my husband and I have as a couple. The two older sons have started families of their own.
Since Ray's diagnosis I was not going to sit back and do nothing I started advocating and raising awareness for this horrible disease that no one seems to want to talk about. Men who served in the military who have been exposed to chemicals and herbicides are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Education regarding prostate cancer and early detection strategies is critical to saving lives, preserving, and protecting our families. The economical and social hardship it has on the families is huge. Prostate cancer is estimated to cost over $8 billion in direct medical expenditures. Nearly 3 million men n the U.S. are living with a prostate cancer diagnosis, that number is estimated to climb to 4 million by 2024 as men in the baby boomer generation age. In 2012, I began working with ZERO - The End Of Prostate Cancer, a national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer . ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families and inspires action. In 2013, I started contacting elected officials for Proclamations and Resolutions supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month in September. Since I started my mission over 2,000 elected officials have supported my efforts in raising awareness in their districts and communities. My husband Ray and I have been invited to attend City Council meeting to accept the Proclamations and Resolutions. We are also given the opptertunity to share our journey, as we share ours there have been elected officials who have shared theirs as well. Some for the first time! I hope to one day have a prostate cancer survivor to also attend council meetngs to also share their story. Having their elected officials from their area is key in letting the families know that they are supported and they care.
We are currently working with Representave Richard Brown, House District 20 and Representative Scott Lipps, House District 62, to have ZERO - The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates The funds from the license plates will stay in Ohio to provide free patient navigation services to reduce financial toxicity among prostate cancer and free transportation for prostate cancer patients to doctors appointments. On June 19, 2019 it was passed by the House of Representatives in the 133rd General assembly 97-0. It was referred to the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee and waiting on a Senate vote for passage.
Since Ray's diagnosis I was not going to sit back and do nothing I started advocating and raising awareness for this horrible disease that no one seems to want to talk about. Men who served in the military who have been exposed to chemicals and herbicides are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. Education regarding prostate cancer and early detection strategies is critical to saving lives, preserving, and protecting our families. The economical and social hardship it has on the families is huge. Prostate cancer is estimated to cost over $8 billion in direct medical expenditures. Nearly 3 million men n the U.S. are living with a prostate cancer diagnosis, that number is estimated to climb to 4 million by 2024 as men in the baby boomer generation age. In 2012, I began working with ZERO - The End Of Prostate Cancer, a national nonprofit with the mission to end prostate cancer . ZERO advances research, improves the lives of men and families and inspires action. In 2013, I started contacting elected officials for Proclamations and Resolutions supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month in September. Since I started my mission over 2,000 elected officials have supported my efforts in raising awareness in their districts and communities. My husband Ray and I have been invited to attend City Council meeting to accept the Proclamations and Resolutions. We are also given the opptertunity to share our journey, as we share ours there have been elected officials who have shared theirs as well. Some for the first time! I hope to one day have a prostate cancer survivor to also attend council meetngs to also share their story. Having their elected officials from their area is key in letting the families know that they are supported and they care.
We are currently working with Representave Richard Brown, House District 20 and Representative Scott Lipps, House District 62, to have ZERO - The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates The funds from the license plates will stay in Ohio to provide free patient navigation services to reduce financial toxicity among prostate cancer and free transportation for prostate cancer patients to doctors appointments. On June 19, 2019 it was passed by the House of Representatives in the 133rd General assembly 97-0. It was referred to the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee and waiting on a Senate vote for passage.
Working with ZERO has given me so many more opportunities to keep raising awareness and to be part of ending prostate cancer Each year Ray and I speak to our elected officials at the annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit in Washington, D.C and work locally in Ohio and across the nation to secure proclamationa from each local government. 1 in 9 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. Someone in your family or you may know someone impacted by prostate cancer. September, the nations recognizes prostate cancer awareness month with Proclamations and Resolutions from elected officials and share them with newspapers and newsletters as another way to help promote prostate cancer awareness to help defeat the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. An estimated 31,620 husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and gandfathers will lose their lives to prostate cancer in 2019.
My awareness campaigh will continue in 2020 and continue until prostate cancer is a disease that no longer impacts the men in or lives!
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