Steve

We are all pulling for you up here in frozen Boston, Steve. Hope the chemo beats it back and we get to visit you soon. Dick

Steve...I promise to catch all Orixas good spirits for you. Believe me!!! Hope to see you soon. I will prepare acaraje; and a moqueca to please your senses! Go Steve go!!!

I've been thinking about y'all very much over the last ten days, all of it filled with heartbreak for your suffering. But I thought of you in a different way today as I did the Big Easy for the first time ever and did it well, thanks to your guidance and recommendations. Between walking and driving, I visited nearly every place on the list Betsy emailed me. I thought of you all there throughout the day and imagined you being there again. It's a lovely city in all it's diversity, and I found people to be very friendly, especially when driving (now that's a novelty!) Tomorrow I am going to visit the Atchafalaya wetlands, such as they are. Be strong in body and spirit, Steve! Thank you, Betsy, Ann and Marion, for creating this website! Love, Jo

Thanks so much, Betsy, Anne and Marion - this site will help all of us who love you, and are so concerned about Steve, stay connected. Steve - what a world of people you have touched with your work for justice, your music, and your friendship. We are here for you. Love, Elaine

Steve, here are some of the many reasons why we love you: Maybe to the Man with a Hammer the whole world looks like a Nail, your epidemiologist's hammer isn't the hammer of jamming everything into a framework of causal inference and statistical models, it's the hammer of Justice; your epidemiological warning sound isn't the bell of statistical significance, it's the bell of Freedom. And the song you sing isn't to build a resumé, it's the song of Love between our Brothers and our Sisters. So say your Boston fan club. dave

Dear Steve, You are a champion of truth and justice. My thoughts and hopes are with you. Dana

Dear Steve, just heard about your temporary set back - you're family's spirit that projects love in it's purest form will hold you all in good stead for this skirmish. You really are a remarkable and unique man and family and all that know you will be holding you in their thoughts until this passes. With all the love and hopes from the Waughs ps please let us know what we can do as we would like to aid in anyway possible.

Been thinking of you, Steve (the Pioneers biggest fan) and the whole family in the days since I heard the news. Sending my love all the way from Zimbabwe. You all are family to me, and to us. Love, Hailey and Zach

Steve, I have great admiration for the person you are and for the way you care about the people in communities who are the real stories behind the data. We need you to keep being the valiant person you are in reminding us of social justice and environmental justice, fundamental pillars of public health. My thoughts are with you and your family. Please let me know any thing and any way I can help. With warmth and concern for you all. Barbara Rimer

You are in our hearts, Steve, Betsy, Ann, Marion, and all your beautiful family. I am in Texas for awhile, as my Dad has gone into hospice care at his home in Canyon Lake; Ken and Jesse will be joining me this weekend. You all have such deep family connections that will only grow in the coming days. Your community, too, loves and appreciates you so much. What a spirit you have, Steve! leading us all in a jubilant dance through the Chatham Fairgrounds to "Oh When the Saints Come Marching Through..." -- so powerful combined with your work for justice for all, and your warm generous spirit. Lots of love to all of you, dear ones.

Hi Steve, You've been my hero since before we met, and have remained larger-than-life in all you've done and continue to do to make this world-- from Tillery to a more social justice-focused epidemiology--a better place. All those forces of good and just that you represent, plus your amazing personality and presence, should come together to make this chemo work and help you get you through this. Meanwhile, am sending every good thought, and all of Berkeley's climate change sunshine your way as you do battle, with family and your legions of friends right behind you. Thanks for everything you've done for me and so many, and here's to many more healthy years ahead. always, Merry

Dearest Steve, Betsy, and daughters (and babies!) -- You are a force, Steve. This is the newest challenge that you've been handed, and you are no stranger to facing down challenges. In your honor, we have organized my Pacific NW community to send all good thoughts east to North Carolina. The orcas and the sea lions are in on this, too. I hope you can feel the enveloping support. You are all being held very close at all times. With much love -- Stephanie, Peter, Sampson

Steve and family, Reading the Journal entry, the news seem so dissonant and jarring. I think about your love of music and jazz, and how jazz integrates the dissonant aspects of sound. Your soundscape is in the flow of life and has always been so. I think of you and your family daily with love and hope.

Dear Steve, as I read through the posts I was very glad to see how many people respect, love and care about you and what you are going through. Add me to that list - I think you are a very special and unique person. The excellence of your research, your willingness to mentor, your respect for your community partners, your ability to articulate complex concepts without talking down to people, your wit and joyous attitude in life - all wonderful attributes. I have enjoyed our interactions over the past 3 years and especially enjoyed our time together in January at the ELSI workshop. I am sending the most positive thoughts your way to help you get through this challenging time. I hope that you can feel all the love surrounding you and derive some happiness from the large number of family, friends and colleagues who care about you, as I do. Symma

Dear Steve, I think the last time we saw each other was a few years ago in RDU and our paths have not really crossed professionally in a number of years. But I do frequently recall the years when we worked together and the impacts you made blazing pathways not yet traveled and doing so much to improve the health outcomes of underserved populations. You boldly stood up to the challenges and obstacles placed in your path to help communities with your science. Steve, as you know, I certainly understand what you face and I know that you will approach this challenge with the same courage, enthusiasm and optimism that you have demonstrated professionally. You and your family are in my prayers as you go forward and please, please, and please feel free to contact me if you ever want to share war stories on this. Fred

Steve, after admiring you from afar it was such a pleasure to finally meet you at the Wildacres Conference. Your passionate commitment to environmental justice inspires and will continue to inspire the rest of us. You will overcome. With gratitude and love Caroline-

Steve, Hearing the update from you directly was so encouraging, and great to know you're already in the second round of treatment. Between rapid improvements in the science of all this, the love of your family and close friends, the legions of us pulling for you from all over the world, and above all with your strength and determination, I do believe you'll beat this thing. You've been a dragon slayer from long before we met, and this may be your biggest dragon (or at least up there with the corporate hog operations and their "regulators"). I am optimistic you can pull this off and am sending every good thought. We need you, and so does the world. Always, merry

Yo Steve: just saw the photos of you with the Dixie band and of the timber you are about to mill. So happy to find out that you are active and doing what you love, which often involves helping people both in your teaching and research. I posted a photo of Eve and me, but I'm not sure it went through. In any case, Eve and I are thinking of you and your family, wishing and praying for good results from the chemo and patience with the side effects. Carl Shy

Dear Brother Steve: It has taken me a while to be able to write on this site and not stop because I was crying so hard! I rejoice in your good news from the CT Scan of tumor reduction and hope the aggressive treatment continues to reduce the sizes. You are such an important part of all our lives that we have sent emails nationwide to all community groups to ask them to share this site with all members. I don't know how many thousands that may be--but I do know one thing! Everyone is sending you wishes for best treatment results and ultimate recovery. Energy never dies and I sincerely believe that all the positive energy generated by so many people can only help you. Remember, I have some wine and buffalo roasts from your fans in Ohio for you whenever you are ready. They swear by the wine's beneficial contribution to health--as well as the curative powers of the bison meat grown on grassland only! When you feel up to it--come on home and let me cook for you and Betsy! Much love brother! Nancy Holt