Fri. Jan. 21st
CONGRESSMAN CARNEY ASKS WILMINGTON RESIDENT TO JOIN HIM FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
WASHINGTON — Congressman John Carney has asked Joe McDonough, a Wilmington resident, to join him as his guest for President Obama’s State of the Union address. McDonough will travel to Washington on Tuesday and attend the speech that evening with Congressman Carney.
McDonough started the Andrew McDonough B+ [Be Positive] Foundation to raise money for childhood cancer after losing his son to leukemia. Andrew McDonough was a 14-year-old student and athlete at Salesianum High School who lost a courageous battle with the disease in 2007.
“After the horrific tragedy in Tucson, we were inspired by the heroism of so many victims and bystanders,” said Congressman Carney. “Across the United States, each and every day, there are heroes working hard to better the lives of others. That is why I wanted to host Joe McDonough as my guest at the State of the Union. He is a man whose family has had to deal with an unspeakable tragedy. But he pulled through and has turned that tragedy into his life’s mission to help other families struggling with the same set of challenges his family faced — and continue to face.”
Since creating the B+ Foundation, Joe has focused on providing financial support to families of critically ill children, funding medical research for pediatric cancers, and spreading the B+ message to “Live Like Andrew” by “trying your best, showing affection, and being comfortable with yourself.” In just three years, the organization has donated almost $400,000 to more than 500 families in 35 states. The B+ Foundation also recently awarded Delaware’s Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research with a grant for $250,000 to enhance the research and development of new chemotherapy treatments.
“I’m honored to have the chance to go to Washington and hear President Obama’s speech to the nation,” said McDonough. “I’m looking forward to talking with Congressman Carney and meeting other members of Congress. I’ll be telling every member I can about the value of childhood cancer research and how important it is to the families I meet from across America.”
Andrew McDonough was a popular ‘A’ student and high school athlete whose story has inspired tens of thousands of people around the country. Andrew’s blood type — B+ — was and continues to be the family’s motto: “Be Positive.” Andrew’s website received more than 1 million visits in six months after it launched. The entire Wilmington community banded together to support the family — and even inspired a bike ride from Oregon to Delaware to raise money for childhood cancer. Andrew’s father was so motivated by the outpouring of support that he decided to start the B+ Foundation to ensure that other families facing similar tragedy would have a positive support network to help them through the process.
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I am humbled and tremendously grateful to Congressman Carney for choosing The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to be his guest at the State of the Union. I am not attending as Joe McDonough, private citizen, but on behalf of Andrew, all of the brave children fighting cancer, and ALL of the supporters of The B+ Foundation. It is a bittersweet invitation, but I am very touched and I graciously accept. Following the address, I will be attending a reception in the Capitol Rotunda. I really hope that I get a chance to interact with some of our elected leaders and share my/our position on childhood cancers.
In a few minutes, Claudia Gomez from the Fox TV affiliate in Philadelphia will be stopping by to do a story on us for this evening’s 10pm news. Additionally, I have been asked to appear in-studio tomorrow evening for a live interview with anchor, Joyce Evans, on Fox 29’s 10pm newscast. And, I’m told that there may be a story in the Wilmington (DE) News-Journal as well. I thank Congressman Carney for giving us this platform to increase awareness for childhood cancers.
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I will be posting over the weekend regarding our “Featured Family of the Week”. Please keep a new B+ Hero, Nathan Silpath, in your prayers. (www.caringbridge.org/visit/nathansilpath)
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Make it a great weekend.
Live Like Andrew – if you don’t know what that means, visit www.BePositive.org to find out.
B+
Ali’s & Andrew’s Dad