U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), along with the entire Indiana congressional delegation last week announced they have introduced a bipartisan resolution marking November 2019 as Stomach Cancer Awareness Month. Senator Young and the Indiana congressional delegation introduced the resolution again this year in memory of Indy Star reporter and columnist Matthew Tully. Last year, Matthew lost his battle to stomach cancer. Thursday evening the resolution passed the Senate.
Stomach cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide and one of the most difficult to detect in its early stages. This year, more than 27,000 cases of stomach cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and more than 11,000 Americans will lose their battle with the disease. The resolution expresses support for more education of patients and health care providers and more research into early diagnosis, screening, and treatment.
Matthew Tully first wrote about his diagnosis in October 2016. He died on October 29, 2018, and is survived by his wife, Valerie, and son, Reid. Since his death, his wife established a fund to help disadvantaged children, and his friends and colleagues continue to honor his legacy.
“In one of his final columns, Matt said his goal was to ‘spark conversations and offer a unique perspective.’ He did far more than that. Through the words he wrote, Matt brought communities together, shined a bright light on the problems we faced, and called attention to the everyday Hoosiers who were trying to make life better,” said Senator Young. “It is my hope that this resolution will spark conversations about stomach cancer and draw attention to efforts to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment efforts.”
“When it comes to cancer, the earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. We want every American to know about stomach cancer,” said Senator Cardin. “The U.S. should invest more into researching early screening, diagnosis, and treatments for this disease.”
“I’m proud to join my fellow Hoosier representatives in signing on to the resolution marking November as Stomach Cancer Awareness Month in Matthew Tully’s memory to bring awareness about this particularly deadly and difficult to screen for cancer that affects thousands of Americans every year,” said Senator Braun.
The complete text of the resolution can be found here.
