Heroes by Mike Horton Cancer is a scary and cruel disease. Last year, I lost the two most influential mentors in my life - Crossbow’s co-founder Richard Newton and my Mom - to pancreatic and breast cancer respectively. I met Richard at UC Berkeley, and he instantly inspired me to think bigger and never look down. My mom’s influence was to be independent, strong, and never give up. I miss them everyday. They died in different ways. Richard’s death was very sudden. Pancreatic cancer is almost undetectable. He complained of back pain and feeling sick from a trip to Hong Kong. As with a lot of cancers, once pancreatic cancer is detected, it is often too late. Our first manufacturing employee, Manh Lu, was diagnosed with liver cancer too late for treatment as well. My mom’s cancer was found on a mammogram. Unfortunately what had looked like nothing a year earlier had become an aggressive cancer in only a year. The cancer was treatable, and there was hope of survival and recovery. However, the cancer proved illusive. It worked its way around chemo treatments for two years. The doctors would often question whether her sickness was a reaction to a particular chemo drug or was it the cancer itself spreading. I never thought she would lose the battle, until she finally did. What I learned was that our doctor’s collective ability to really understand, control, and cure this disease is a work in progress. My dad, a professor of physics, would constantly complain – how can this be so non-scientific? How can this be such a guessing game? The techniques for combating cancer are uncertain, painful and difficult for patients. We need better treatments and research!! Even though cancer is not cured, there are many survivors, and there is a lot of reason for hope. Patients who fight the disease are so strong and have so much courage. Families of patients demonstrate what unconditional love is all about. Doctors and nurses provide real progress and real success every day. When you meet someone with cancer, whether sick or well, you have met a hero. Crossbow is supporting the search for a future cure to cancer AND the needs of today’s cancer patients thru the Crossbow Cares drive. Our efforts to raise funds will help. I hope everyone can find a little time or a little money (or a little of both) to participate in this year’s drive. We will make a difference.