Since the first chariot was endorsed by the first Gladiator, famous figures have been sought out for endorsements. This has not changed.

What has changed is the realization by these inspirational figures, of the good they can give back to society by lending their name to causes that inspire them.

I’m not talking about save the Rainforest or PETA advocates (people for the ethical treatment of animals). Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong in protecting our Earth. However, I am talking about true inspirational heroes, (that’s what I call them because nothing else can properly describe them) that devote their life to their beliefs and causes; people who make their cause their life’s work.

One such celebrity athlete is professional boxer, Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson. He was recently appointed to the Advisory Board of our Dental Stem Cell Bio Bank Project, Provia Laboratories.

Melson is a gifted professional boxer who donates all of the money that he earns in the ring to spinal cord injury research.  His advocacy efforts have been profiled on Emmy Award winning HBO series Real Sports, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo.  He is a founder of the organization Team Fight to Walk, which through professional boxers and other athletes raises money for JustADollarPlease, which supports efforts to bring clinical trials of adult stem cell treatments for spinal cord injury to the United States.

“In the United States alone, where a spinal cord injury occurs every 43 minutes, there are 300,000 people living with the tragic after-effects,” said Melson.  “Of those, 40,000 are US Armed Forces Veterans.  The exploding field of regenerative medicine holds great promise for the treatment of these injuries.  My dearest friend in this world, Christan–who is the inspiration behind my passion for all things relating to spinal cord injury treatment–lives every day with the challenges resulting from a spinal cord injury.  I have experienced first-hand, in her case, how adult stem cells can improve the quality of life.  I live to help Christan and others like her.”

In my opinion, this kind of commitment is remarkable. There’s no apparel deal associated and no signatures on sports gear stating the use is superior just because the celebrity uses it. There’s no cape for this hero. There are no medals or parades.

 Just good old-fashioned caring and giving. To see work such as Melson’s, with all the negative news in the world, makes my heart feel good. I believe a society is judged by a few things.  A person’s desire to give back and care for another human being is one of the strongest I can think of.