Hi!
I had an idea floating in my head for a while, and I am now starting to perfect it (talking to lawyers, finding founders and so on). After talking and talking to some people with far more experience in finance than I have, it looks like it could become a reality!
I would like to start a charity which would be focused on PCa research (as first step, the other cancers if cash allows).
Imagine a new kind of charity, focused empowering both patients and researchers. Instead of spreading funds thinly across a wide range of initiatives, this organization would zero in on key areas where targeted investment can have the greatest impact.
In my mind, it would focus on :
1 - Drug repurposing trials
2 - Phase 1 trials in general
3 - AI for healthcare development project
Everything that could be reachable by a charity, phase 2 and 3 trials would require a ton of money of course.
The projects would be selected by a committee of researchers, possibly young and hungry, people who believe they can make a difference, not focused on money. I have a number of connections in the research world that would help to find the right people.
My idea is that this committee would select a pool of promising research and the members of this charity (donors) would vote for where to invest the funds raised.
I have skin in the game, and you are in my same condition, so I need your opinion. Honestly, even if they have the best intentions, people who are not this close to cancer really cannot understand all the implications and the hope we need (based on something solid, of course).
Ok, since last week, even if my PET scan went well (only a slight improvement this time but still well) and everything is under control at the moment, I have fallen in a kind of "sadness", because I have a feeling that maybe some really game changing treatment won't be available before my time comes. Fine.
As some of you do (and I know that you do!*), I talked to my cancer and I said "I am taking you down. Maybe not me directly, maybe someone that will come after me. But you are going down!". And that's when I have started to put together this idea. I have been thinking about it for a while, but this was the moment where I actually started to put all the pieces together.
What do you think about it? You can reply here or you can send me a private message if you prefer. I am not asking if you would donate money, but what you think about such an initiative, what you would suggest and so on.
Thank!
Max
* if you don't do it, pretend that you do it, so I won't feel like an idiot!