Professor with pancreatic cancer gives his last lesson on life

According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"Randy Pausch is a 46-year-old computer science professor who has incurable pancreatic cancer. It's not that he's in denial about the fact that he only has months to live, he told the 400 listeners packed into McConomy Auditorium on the campus, and the hundreds more listening to a live Web cast."


WSJ video

After months of experimental chemotherapy at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Pausch had one of the most aggressive recurrences his doctors have ever seen and reportedly has only a few months to live.

"With his oldest son, 5-year-old Dylan, Dr. Pausch went on a recent trip to Disney World and to swim with dolphins, thinking Dylan may be the only child who will have strong direct memories of him."

"If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you," he said during his lecture.

References:
Randy Pausch's Cancer Update page. CMU.edu.
CMU professor gives his last lesson on life. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A Professor’s Farewell Sparks a Media Frenzy. NYTimes, 11/2007.
Link via Kevin, M.D.

Related:
Keeping Priorities Straight, Even at the End. NYTimes, 04/2008.
A Final Farewell. WSJ, 05/2008.
Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture Video Available with Transcript & Slides. Digital Inspiration, 08/2008.

Updated: 08/14/2008