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James "Rhio" O'Connor Memorial Scholarship Fund

James "Rhio" O'Connor Memorial Scholarship Fund
12/27/2011
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Suada Kolovic

James "Rhio" O'Connor was a remarkable man. He was diagnosed with a deadly cancer (mesothelioma) and given a year to live. Instead of giving up he found his own path to health and outlived his prognosis by more than six years. This path to health included creating his own treatment protocol which consisted of: vitamins, minerals, vegetables and fruits components, essential fatty acids, amino acids, enzymes, herbs, a healthy (primarily vegetarian) diet and mind-body medicine. This protocol along with Rhio's optimistic spirit, belief in something greater than himself, and the ability to make tough choices helped him beat his prognosis and live with a cancer considered "incurable" for many years.

Undergraduate students at colleges and universities in the United States are invited to honor Rhio's spirit of self-determination and intellectual curiosity by writing an essay about what they would do if they faced the same challenges that Rhio faced. For example, why are alternative therapies used by cancer patients when they are not FDA approved? Should cancer patients and doctors be able to use whatever treatments they like in treating cancer? Should medicinal medicine and folk knowledge have any relevancy in cancer? It is estimated that it costs over $400 million to bring a new cancer drug to market. Does that establish roadblocks for the testing and approval of alternative therapies?

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university. High school students are ineligible unless they are 18 year of age or older and are also attending a college or university. For more information on this scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!

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