A Personal Reflection

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring happy bells, across the snow…”

(Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Dearest Friends,

This year, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and our hearts have been touched by the wonderful expressions of warm wishes and prayers from family, friends, and countless patients from around the world. After many years of treating patients with cancer and working in cancer research, her bravery in undergoing successful, albeit harsh, preoperative chemotherapy and surgery has given a new perspective on life. Although we are thrilled with her results, the experience has reinforced the urgent need for more progress to improve the lives of cancer patients.

So, on the threshold of the New Year, I want to renew every good wish from last year and thank you for your help in creating the successes of past years. I am grateful for your encouragement to continue our commitment to set new goals, make new improvements, seek new opportunities, ask new questions, discover new answers, and see what greater things can be achieved in the New Year with hard work and some good luck.

The Urological Research Foundation continues to provide needed crucial support in our research program that is essential to our continued success. So, I hope that in your plans for year-end giving, you consider a generous contribution to the URF.

This being the holiday season, I end my greetings to you with thoughtful quotes from Charles Dickens:

“A very little key will open a very heavy door.”
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
“May the New Year be a happy one to you, happy to many more whose happiness depends on you.”

With gratitude, hope, and warmest personal greetings,

William J. Catalona, Medical Director, Urological Research Foundation