It's taken me a while to note the death of Leroy Sievers in my blog because even though it perfectly illustrates how powerful the combination of broadcasting (NPR in this case) and social media (blogging in this case) can be, this one had a personal dimension for me. My wife, Sandra, died nearly a year ago after a 2½-year bout (since diagnosis) with esophageal cancer. Leroy's NPR appearances and his blog were, for both of us, important fuel for the fight she waged from the moment her cancer was first diagnosed in early 2005. Leroy was a journalist and so was Sandra early in her career (became a professor of it later), and she also wrote eloquently about it, though in her case it was in private emails to a large group of friends and family members. Maeve McGoran and Laurie Singer have posted to Leroy's blog since his death and many among his large circle of readers wonder if this is going to survive him. Or perhaps, since it was such a personal statement, it needs to be let go. I don't have an answer, only hope for the much too large a club that is touched by cancer. --Dennis
