I’ve spoken quite a bit regarding reasons for optimism and various medical advancements taking place to motivate us to believe we can find a solution to this disease.
I think it’s also important to think soberly regarding ways in which our ability to get a serious effort underway could be jeopardised in the future. What do I mean by this? Put simply, there’s always the potential for crises and problems to eclipse this issue of ours. In the past 3 years alone we witnessed Covid-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as a series of economic problems including soaring inflation. Who is to say an even worse and more detrimental crisis isn’t on the horizon? One which would make it even harder for us to contribute individually, or to raise attention and funding from outside of this community.
There’s always the risk that if we do not get a serious effort underway, that it may never happen. This is not baseless alarmism. For example, it’s obvious that Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine meant media attention and charitable fundraising was monopolised. If we do not start to get serious and step up, we might find ourselves in a situation in which it is increasingly difficult to raise funding.
The time is now. We need to start coming out of the closet about this problem, doing Go Fund Mes amongst friends and family to support research etc.