The Inspiration behind the Alliance
The Alliance is named for Reid Robert Sacco, who lost his life in April 2005 to cancer. He was only 20 years old.
Reid was a remarkable young man. Unassuming, humble and gregarious Reid was an accomplished scholar, musician, competitive swimmer, and sailor. Cancer stole from this world a genuine hero, like so many AYAs like Reid.
During his courageous two-year battle, Reid and his family learned first-hand of the tragic gaps that faced AYAs diagnosed with cancer.
During his cancer battle, Reid continued to teach children and teens to sail at the Kennebunk Beach Improvement Association summer program. Reflecting on his own life he told us, "Life is like sailing. Change can upon you suddenly. But just because you sometimes have to alter your course, you don't have to stop sailing."
Hence, the Alliance motto, "Altering the Course of Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer"
The symbol of the Alliance is always a sailboat.
The Alliance Focus
Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer have long been an underserved population of cancer patients, yet AYAs compose what we would argue is the most productive and most promising segment of our society.
AYAs are perched at a pivotal point in life. The path that lies ahead is the one on which they will launch their careers and professions, establish their financial independence, start their own families, and expand their professional and social networks and advocations. For an adolescent or young adult stricken with cancer that path is derailed or, at best, temporarily put on-hold. Our dream is to make sure that all AYAs diagnosed with cancers will survive and thrive and can quickly resume life as it was meant to be.