about me

My name is Stuart Croall. I am a leukemia survivor, husband and father. I was diagnosed in June 2001 and was in remission until January 2009. After my relapse I was treated, achieved a second remission, and received a stem cell transplant in May of 2009.

While I am currently employed in a rather traditional job, my interests are quite broad and often lie elsewhere (which must be pretty obvious to everyone by now). I don’t really define myself by having survived leukemia, but this issue of identity is one with which I seem to struggle these days.

At the end of the day what really interests me is envisioning a future where politics and democracy actually accomplish what people think they accomplish. I imagine being able to harness the creativity of a wide variety of people with different talents to solve policy problems. I think about being able to easily access almost all government information and to have to tools available so that many people can analyze and develop arguments based on fact rather than fallacy. On the other side, I imagine political criticism and commentary that can drawn on this information to make constructive contributions to discussion, rather than being founded on elaborate types of name-calling.

I am also very interested in the idea that most of the ideas that will change the world will be developed at the community level, and that it is creativity and energy in these communities that will result in changes being adopted at higher levels of government. There is no sense waiting for politicians to solve problems that we can begin to solve ourselves (and teach them along the way). I still think governments are critically important, I just don’t think our elected representatives have any good ideas any more.

about without leukemia

I originally started Without Leukemia to write about my experiences with Leukemia, as well as health issues related to the experience. I quickly realized that it was much too narrow a focus for me. I have be found blogging about many things although they are all generally rooted in my vision of Canada as a healthier and more just country.

Recently, I have again started to think more about leukemia, treatment, and issues of being a survivor and identity, I feel like I have something to contribute, but I’m constantly trying to figure out what that is.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome including, “why don’t you start a second blog to talk about all that politics stuff?” Believe me, it does occur to me on occasion. In the mean time, enjoy!