<-- 2021 - Me and my girls at the start of the ride!
We are mourning the loss of our dad, Buddy/Bernie Gitlin. Please help us keep his memory alive by supporting this worthy cause. He posted this on July 1st and succumbed to this terrible disease on July 22nd.
This year will be my 23rd year participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge and the mission is more important to me than ever. It has gotten WAY TOO PERSONAL. In late May, I was diagnosed with Leukemia. Fortunately, with all the good work we have done at Dana Farber I was able to immediately connect with Dr. Richard Stone, the Director of the Adult Acute Leukemia Program. After a bit of a rocky start and a long hospital stay, I am wrapping up my first round of treatment and was lucky enough to qualify for a phase 3 clinical trial which has shown promise in treating my type of Leukemia. This personal attack makes me even more committed to the mission of fighting this dreadful disease. My ride might look a little different this year but the ask is the same – PLEASE GIVE!
This year's ride will take place on August 5-6th. I am hopeful to be able to ride in some capacity but I need to be patient for the next few weeks and see how I am feeling and get my strength back.
As most of you know, my daughter Melissa’s husband Perry passed away in 1999 after a short battle with cancer of the small bowel. It is hard to believe that it was almost 25 years ago that we sat in his hospital room and learned of his diagnosis. They had been married less than 2 years and Perry was the picture of health - just like me! This disease does not discriminate! Four months later, he was gone. It is still unthinkable that Perry, a marathon runner and tri-athlete, lost his life at the age of 32.
The PMC has become an amazing tradition for our family and it feels wonderful to do something so productive and make a positive difference from the tragedy of losing Perry. This year we hope to hit our 10 Million Dollar milestone and the money we have raised directly supports a Fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as well as funding research efforts. We have supported many amazing doctors over the past several years and in 2017 our 2005 Fellow was named the new Director of the Gastrointestincal Cancer Center at Dana Farber! If this isn't proof of how our fundraising has made a difference, I don't know what is!!
To wrap this story together...in early June I wasn't feeling well but hadn't started treatment yet. Dr. Stone sent me to DFCI for a blood transfusion. As I was sitting there with my PMC t-shirt I started chatting with the doctor on rounds. Immediate connections were made and I realized I was talking face to face with our new 2023 fellow, Dr. Brandon Huffman. I quickly learned he is just as impressive as his predecessors! Dr. Huffman is working in the lab and the clinic to bring novel therapies to his patients.
They've made it easy - click the Donate to My Ride button below and help us make a difference in the fight against cancer. If you would prefer to donate by check - please make it payable to PMC-Jimmy Fund and send it to me at 51 Breakwater Shores Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601. Your donation is tax-deductible and greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Buddy aka Bernie
