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Inspiration: The Last Lecture Lives On

2010 June 29

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch was known by many for his Last Lecture, which was viewed by and inspired over 10 million people. His main message was for people to live life to the fullest. “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

If you haven’t seen the lecture, I strongly encourage you to watch it in full: The Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

Shortly before giving his last lecture, Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told that he had just months to live.

Pausch spent some of his last days in to Washington, as an advocate, urging politicians for more and more creative funding for pancreatic cancer research. A little over two years ago, he passed away, leaving behind his wife Jai and three young children.

Today, Randy’s eight-year-old son Dylan is carrying on his father’s legacy. Following in his dad’s footsteps, Dylan is joining the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to lobby Congress to increase funding for research.

Jai sums up the impact this work has on Dylan: “I think it’s wonderful for him to see that, individually, we have power as an American to make a difference. I think this helps him say, “Wow, I can do something. Maybe I can’t bring my dad back to life, but I can help other people.”

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