There's so much more to life than money. At the same time, the daily grind definitely depends some on this coveted staple. For one man, whose life did depend on money, it could have been everything. But it wasn't.

Think about this:

Wayne Schenk won $1 million in the New York lottery on January 12 after purchasing a $5 scratch-off ticket. His jackpot win came just five weeks after his diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer was delivered. His one wish: to receive a lump sum so he could receive specialized treatment for his advanced disease.

Lottery officials claim they were sympathetic but just couldn't give him a lump sum. The best they could do was issue him $50,000 annual installments for 20 years.

Schenk, 51, only survived for a little more than one year. He died on April 23 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Syracuse. At the time of his death, he had received just $34,000.

So money isn't everything. But could it have been?

Parents may want to save their kids' baby teeth for more than just nostalgic reasons -- they may want to save them because they are rich in stem cells and the pulp tissue could provide the means to treatment for injuries and disease. BioEden Inc. is a new company out of Austin, Texas pioneering this effort that is so new some doubt science will ever catch up with the expectations of this firm. But President Jeff Johnson says all evidence indicates that baby teeth are a wonderful source of stem cells -- cells that doctors and researchers pursue for their capability of replicating and morphing into specialized cells that can be used to repair the body. Experts think baby teeth stem cells might one day be used for bone, teeth, and even nerve cell regeneration which could hold potential for spinal cord injuries and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Parents may find brochures in their dentist offices featuring the benefits of banking their children's teeth once they fall out. And pursuing tooth banking is no different than pursuing any other dental procedure. There are fees involved, of course -- banking fees and perhaps referral fees from dental offices -- and other considerations that each parent must weigh. Dr. Phil Hunke, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and pediatric dentist for 32 years, says the idea of removing cells and freezing them holds true promise -- and he may want to bank the tooth of a child or grandchild once he learns more. Dr. Kevin Donly, a professor of pediatric dentistry, says he sees some potential but will not be banking teeth for his three little boys. He just doesn't think he's at the point where it's necessary. Another pediatric dentist -- Dr. John Updyke -- believes that if money were not an issue, all parents should bank their kids' teeth. But many young families can't afford the initial $595 and the $89 annual storage cost it requires. And without a solid scientific backing, tooth banking might not come up as a priority for many when it may take 10 years or more to even determine how useful these specific stem cells will be.

Gregory D. Pawelski, one of our regular readers who always adds important information to the conversation here about cancer issues, has shared that the Weisenthal Cancer Group recently announced clinical study results showing a new test, called the EGFRx™ assay, can predict which cancer patients would benefit from a targeted cancer drug before it is administered.

The advantage to knowing ahead of time if a cancer patient will benefit from a drug can save the patient from unnecessary treatment and the potentially long-term damaging side effects of the cancer drug in question, and the medical community the expense of a treatment that will not prove effective.

While the new test has been applied to a few drugs in making the determination before treatment as to who will benefit and who will not, technically there is no reason why the new test, developed by medical oncologist Larry Weisenthal, M.D., Ph.D., can't be expanded in the future to test all targeted drugs. To read more about this new test, go here.

Thanks! to Gregory D. Pawelski for pointing us to this information.

Some days are just better than other days -- and good deeds can make it a better day. Earlier this month, I shared a story with you about Brian Mammen, an 18 year-old who has been battling cancer for the last three years and is having a tough time right now. I told you that Brian is a young man with dreams -- things he would like to do. Helping Heroes Productions had been contacting the media and community friends in the hopes that someone could help make his ultimate dream of playing guitar with Van Halen's legendary bass guitarist Michael Anthony a reality.

Dreams come true if they involve people with big hearts. Michael Anthony came to see Brian at Brian's family home and spent the day with him, playing guitar, sharing music, laughter and stories. As Brian's grandmother tearfully watched as Brian lived his dream, she is quoted as saying, "It is times like this that cause people to reach out and really touch each other, and it makes me feel so wonderful."

"I've been blessed with great kids and career, and if I can give anything back I am glad to do it," Anthony said. In addition to spending an hour jamming with Brian, Anthony gave him a signature guitar strap, CD, and specialized Van Halen picks -- and a signed bass guitar. Hats off to Anthony! Who rocks as much as a successful musician as he does as a compassionate human being.