"Laura was lightning in a bottle. A very strange combination of George Patton, a damsel in distress, and Vincent Van Gogh all rolled into one. An artistic, extremely smart, very goal-directed individual, who never lost her humor, her gentility or her ability to get the best out of anyone she was with. She was phenomenal."
--Dr. John Glaspy
Nine years ago, when Laura Ziskin was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer at age 53, she was alarmed, not just for her life but for her daughter, her beloved life partner, and her hard-earned career. What alarmed her even more than any of those things, though, was that her prognosis was no better in 2003 than it had been for women with her diagnosis 40 years prior. Naturally, Laura asked, "Why?"
As a tenacious and focused producer, Laura held close to her heart a well-known quotation by her famous predecessor, David O. Selznick: "Movies aren't made. They're forced into being." Laura knew that better outcomes for cancer patients must also be forced into being. She learned that conventional funding mechanisms for research had simply not yielded satisfactory results. In fact, every day in this country, 1,500 people die from cancer.
Laura became determined to make a change, not only in her own life but in the lives of cancer patients everywhere. She took the worst time in her life and used it to benefit everyone affected by this disease. In 2008, together with eight other influential women in the entertainment industry who had also been touched by cancer, Laura founded Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C).
Laura's intention was to quickly make cancer a first-tier issue in this country, as An Inconvenient Truth had done for climate change. To pull that off, she used all the chutzpah she had garnered in her amazing producing career to galvanize the media to help raise awareness and, most importantly, to help raise funding. Next, she and the SU2C team brought together the best and the brightest in the cancer-research field, along with newcomers whose fresh perspectives held the potential to transform the arena.
For Laura, like any cancer patient, time was of the essence. "When you're diagnosed with cancer, and there's no effective treatment for you, you don't have 20 years to wait," she said. With her leadership SU2C flourished. In just three short years SU2C changed the way cancer research is done. Funds were awarded quickly, in large sums, to multidisciplinary "dream teams" of scientists, with the mandate that they publicly share results within relatively short timeframes.
To date SU2C has raised more than $180 million for groundbreaking translational research, and more than 330 scientists from 68 institutions are working together. Thirty-four clinical trials have been already been initiated or completed, with another 14 planned. Patients are being treated, and promising results are being delivered, from the laboratory bench to the bedside of patients and back again. What started as an idea -- a dream, really -- has become a movement.
The courage and immediacy that Laura infused into everything she did continues to live on in all of us at Stand Up to Cancer. Because Laura Ziskin asked the question "why?" and acted on it, cancer research today is being done differently, all for the benefit of patients. Scientists are collaborating, and we are beginning to see results.
As a mentor, a colleague, and a friend, Laura is deeply missed. But as anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer knows, we must push on, and we must stand for the ones who can no longer stand for themselves. We stand in honor of Laura so that together, as one united force, we can continue funding science that will one day make everyone with cancer a survivor.
In honor of Laura's dream of a world without cancer, we stand for all of you, the millions affected by cancer every day.
Please join us in celebrating her amazing life by visiting Laura's star in the SU2C Constellation.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.