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Ruth Melloni |
When Ruth-Ann died on May 5,
2001, I lost a very special life-long friend. As adults, we
shared many memorable moments, and she brightened my life with
the same joyful laughter that we all remember from our years at
St Clement's She was always there to support me and my family
during times of sickness and stress. During her short life on
earth, she dedicated all of her energy to her devoted husband,
her two wonderful sons and the third grade students in her
class.
Ruth-Ann faced her two year
battle with colon cancer with a level of optimism and courage
that was so characteristic of her lively personality. Her
devastating illness brought Ruth-Ann and her family face to face
with the grim reality of hospitals, chemotherapy and drug
companies. After two surgeries and several courses of
chemotherapy, Ruth-Ann's condition continued to deteriorate. Her
oncologist suggested she try an experimental drug which was
available only through clinical trials. Representatives from the
drug company "Imclone" refused to provide Ruth-Ann with the
medication, yet they could not identify a reason why she would
not be eligible for the treatment. Despite her physical
weakness, Ruth-Ann spent hours on the internet researching the
elusive practice called "compassionate use" - a controversial
way for some patients to obtain drugs that are not yet FDA
approved. In their quest to obtain this medication, Ruth-Ann
and her husband, Fred, soon discovered that the criteria for
selecting drug recipients is very arbitrary and inconsistent.
Through consultation with several political advocates,
Ruth-Ann's story found its way to "60 Minutes" which happened to
be running a segment on the random and unfair distribution of
cancer drugs. Just 6 weeks before her death, Ruth-Ann and her
husband traveled to New York City to tell their tragic story on
"60 Minutes" . Her compelling testimony on nationwide TV
heightened public and political awareness of the need for
legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of experimental
drugs. Ruth-Ann never lived to watch her presentation on TV.
She died two days before the show aired on Mother's Day,
May 7, 2001. After her death,
her husband continued to advocate for the cause that was so much
a part of Ruth-Ann's final wish, "that no one else should have
to go through this". Ruth-Ann's personal story is now part of
the best-selling book "The Cell Game" --- the story of the
notorious financial scandal that sent Imclone's CEO and his
friend, Martha Stewart to jail.
When God called Ruth-Ann at such
a young age, he left beautiful memories of her kindness, her
vibrant personality and her dedication to humanity. She will be
with us in spirit at our 40th reunion.
(Written By
Nancy Mooney Lenaghan) |
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Paul Haley |
Paul J. Haley died recently
following a battle with lung cancer at the age of 60.
Haley attended St. Clement’s High School before attending and
graduating from Boston University. He later earned his law
degree from the New England School of Law. He was admitted to
practice in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and also in the US
Supreme Court.
From 1977 to 2008 he had private practices in Somerville and
Hillsboro.
Haley is survived by his wife Babette, who once worked at the NH
Bar Association; children, Paul, Katy and Lilly; grandson, Paul;
mother, Helen; and many siblings, nieces and nephews |
