April 2011

Two weeks ago it was raining. I dropped Max off at school in a cab, walked him to the front door, gave him a hug, then turned around to dodge the rain drops and grab a cab. My friend Andrew Fox pulled up in his Range Rover, to drop his son Jordon off for school. Jordon, Max’s friend, hopped out, and I hopped in. Who would have thought, that ride was the impetus to another life changing experience for me.

As we sat in traffic on Park Avenue, the windshield wipers going at full speed, cab drivers with a heavy foot breaking every ten feet, the rain came pouring down. Andrew asked how Max is doing, inquired about BE BRAVE and Max Cure. I responded Max is thankfully in remission and is doing well, BE BRAVE is becoming a movement, and Max Cure has raised over one million dollars since inception. The lab we are underwriting at MSKCC is responsible for fifteen patients being cancer free with this targeted immune cell therapy, a less toxic treatment. He then told me about Summit Series at Sea.

He explained that he was going for his third year. It had changed his life and thought that I should go. After listening to him pitch me on this “Summit Series”, it did not take much convincing. That afternoon, I was formerly invited by the founders. Days later I was introduced to The Collective, a private social media network for those attending the Summit. Prior to the adventure, we were given an opportunity to connect with the 1000 people who would be attending, view their profiles and see the limitless opportunities that lay ahead. I was soon to be on a boat with a collection of leaders from around the world who are responsible for change, every bit of change we read about in the newspapers, and hear news channels talking about. These leaders talk about change, and they create it.

In attendance to name a few were those responsible for Google, Pay Pal, Groupon, Social Living, Toms Shoes, Zappos, The Holocaust Museum, Charity Water and much, much more. Russell Simmons, Richard Branson, Elen Gustafson, Peter Thiel, and Sean Stephenson were also present. To be a part of this experience is humbling and exciting for the future of The Max Cure Foundation and BE BRAVE.

I attended the Summit Series as co- founder of The Max Cure Foundation and Be Brave. I was there because of Max Cure’s mission, our mission. I was the voice of every child, and family that has been and will be affected by pediatric cancer.

On the ship I listened, learned, and met new friends. I shared the vision of the future of The Max Cure Foundation, while raising awareness for pediatric cancer, a disease which barged into our life the day before Max turned four. May 2nd of this year will mark the four year anniversary of the day the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering said “it’s malignant”. That night I told Max to Be Brave.

The day following the news, I took Max to his first Yankee game. He had a hot dog, and cotton candy. Half the cotton candy, went to his belly, the other half he wore all over his hands, and face. I did not watch the game. The sun was shinning, the stadium was sold out, the crowd was going wild; but I could not hear a thing. It was if I were in a glass cocoon. In ten days Max was going to start an intense chemotherapy protocol. I had no idea what the road ahead was going to look like, but I knew I would be with him every step of the way. Max turns eight on May 3rd 2011. We are taking him to a Yankee game with five of his school friends.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Be Brave

David