|
On February 18, John Kanzius, cherished
friend, Sanibel resident and creative inventor, passed away
after seven years battling leukemia. John gained national
attention in recent years by using high frequency radio waves
and nanoparticles to destroy cancer cells in animals. He was
looking forward to his research expanding to human trials.
His personal health journey helped spur him
in his desire to find a unique new, less harmful and successful
treatment for multiple types of cancer.
Last March John announced that Lee Memorial
Health System (LMHS) would be one of a small number of host
sites for the human clinical trials of his continued cancer
research. Over the past few years, many of us at LMHS had grown
close to John and his always upbeat and cheerful wife, Marianne.
John’s passing has left us with heavy hearts as we mourn the
loss of a good friend and supporter in the fight against cancer.
Within the past few weeks, John and I had discussed another
experiment he was working on with using radio waves to
experiment with seawater desalinization that had emerged into a
possible new source of energy. He asked my help in putting
together community leaders and state leaders to consider
developing a major research project on this for our community.
We were discussing who to include in this meeting and when to
schedule just before his health took a rapid turn last weekend.
I had taken the first steps of contacting the local Economic
Development Office when I learned of his passing.
On the night when John was admitted to HealthPark Medical
Center, I sensed a difference in his voice as soon as I picked
up the phone. Recent treatments had once again weakened his
immune system and created complications that he knew could be
life threatening. Through his battle with leukemia, John truly
fought for his health…not solely for himself but to try to drive
his visions into reality.
John was a dreamer with a truly intellectual mind…making the
impossible a possibility. His main priority was to make a
difference in this world and to leave it a better place than how
he found it.
When John began his cancer research, which began in his garage
with his wife Marianne’s pots and pans, it was all for a good
cause. He knew he wanted to find a way to help children living
with cancer, especially if he could create a way to cure cancer
without using painful and debilitating processes like
chemotherapy. This led him to experimenting with radio waves and
nanoparticles to destroy cancer cells without hurting the cancer
patient. The implications of this experiment could mean a
possible cure for many types of cancer.
Recently John went to the new Regional Cancer Center developed
by LMHS and various physician cancer specialists. John, an
expert from having been a patient in many different cancer
centers and not one to offer praise where none was due, raved
about the new center. This is one of the locations where Phase 2
clinical human trials on the Kanzius technology will be doing
research once the animal research is approved for human trials.
John was excited about our participation and impressed with the
new facility. We at LMHS were truly honored to be a part of
John’s recent life and to know that LMHS will be a part of the
legacy of John Kanzius as a host site for the clinical trials.
On the same day that John passed away, I received a letter from
a gentleman from another state who was aware of our relationship
with John. He explained to me that he wanted to be one of the
first patients in the human trials, that his mantra is to “Never
ever give up,” and that his goal was to see two grandchildren
anticipated for birth this coming August. I spoke with him after
receiving the letter to share the news of John’s passing and
reinforced that John, too, would never give up.
We all wish that John could have lived long enough to see the
final results of his cancer research. His legacy will live on,
however, not only in our community, but all across this country
and very possibly throughout the world. If you wish to learn a
little more about his research go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kanzius.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family and friends
during this difficult time. A memorial service will be held
locally on Sanibel on March 4. Services in Erie, Pennsylvania,
were held on February 23.
Peace,
Jim Nathan, LMHS President
|
