2024 - This is now my 5th year being a rider for the PMC, and will be my 3rd virtual ride. I had hoped to be back on my bike, joining my friends for the ride from Wellesley to Provincetown, but alas my hip replacement surgery got delayed until this February. Since I'm on motion restrictions until June I didn't think I would be able to do enough training to handle the 2 day ride. So to be cautious, I've signed up to do the reimagined ride this year, which means I'll be logging my miles across the summer instead of on an official PMC route. This year the PMC expects it's donation will surpass the 1 Billion dollar mark, raised by riders over the history of the PMC. That's a mind blowing number and I have to admit, I want to be a part of the PMC achieving that goal. As I scientist, I know how important those dollars are to the scientists on the front lines trying to understand what drives cancer along with looking for new treatments. This past year I've again seen cancer touch the lives of friends and I'm in awe of their strength and grace. So thanks for reading this (if you keep reading you can see my whole PMC history) and if you're able to make a donation in support of my ride, thank you very much.
2023 - I'm now a veteran of 2 in person PMC rides and I think last year's ride might be one of the most challenging things I've ever done with temps and humidity in the high 90s. I've also never been more proud of a ride or more impressed with all the PMC riders, their hearts and passion. This year I'm doing a virtual ride as I don't think my arthritic hip is up for the 2 days this year. But as the weather gets warmer and I go back outside for some rides, I can't help but think of the PMC and wish that I was riding with everyone this year. So I've decided to contribute this year by doing a virtual ride as the fight to find novel, more effective, more selective and even personalized treatments for cancer continues and every dollar raised could lead to a new breakthrough. The money I raise will support the team I joined last year, the FLAMES, which sponsors research focused on adult cancers and lymphoma/leukemia. Following is the history of my PMC rides and why I got started in the first place. Thank you for your support.
2022 - Last year, I did my first in person PMC ride and I remember being really nervous about it, not knowing what to expect or if I'd be able to complete the ride. I made it through both days and to my surprise was pain free after completing it. I do remember waiting for my ferry back to Boston and thinking...oh my god, the Cape is so NOT flat and I'm not sure I'll ever do that again. In December I was in my local Lenscrafters and started to speak to one of the sales staff. As we talked, the PMC ride came up and she asked me how it went-turns out we'd talked earlier in the summer when I'd gone in to see if I could get clear lenses for my Oakley glasses (they were such a lifesaver during the rainy Ride the Rhode). We had connected because her son was being treated at Dana Farber and was to be one of the kids with a featured picture on the ride. She took my hand and thanked me for riding, tears welling up in our eyes. I asked how her son was doing and he was doing well. In January when my friends asked if I was going to ride again this year, I thought of this woman and her son and said why not and signed up again to ride. Need a reason to get out there and ride, after all right? :D
I still think of Lilly often. Every time I see a turquoise dot or streak in a photo, I know that's Lilly saying hello. I now think of my rides as part of Lilly's legacy. She was a lovely young lady that brought laughter and joy wherever she went. I may never have ever tried a PMC ride were it not for Lilly's strength and inspiring me to do something that I thought might not be possible.
So once again, if you're able to make a donation (of any amount) in support of my ride, let me say thank you in advance. I couldn't meet the goal without your support and for those going through the journey and their families, it means so very much.
2021-Last year I signed up to ride in my first PMC ride in honor of my friend Lilly (I've left that story below because she is still a driving force for my ride), but due to the pandemic, my first ride became virtual (and about 1/4 the distance of the actual ride). One thing that the pandemic didn't take away, and maybe made more challenging, is the fight against cancer. In the past year I've seen friends battle against cancer and so far they're all winning, but I know not everyone is that fortunate. A family member lost a dear frend to a reccurence; it was unexpected, quick. and devasting to friends and family. i hope the funds that I raise will help us reach a time where those losses no longer happen.
If you're in a situation where you are able to make charitable donations, I would appreciate your support of my ride. Thanks for reading this far and the story of my inspiration is below.
Thank you
2020 - I wouldn't be surprised if everyone reading this has been touched by cancer in some way - either through a friend, a family member, or maybe personally. The first time I was touched by cancer was over 30 years ago-a college friend, I met her the year after she waged her battle (while taking classes) against leukemia. Since then I've had several friends who have fought cancer - leukemia, skin, stomach, or breast cancer - and fortunately they've all won their fights, that is until last year.
This past year, I lost my friend Lilly a week shy of her 14th birthday. As her young friend Jayin said, she won her battles against the cancer, it was complications of the treatments that took her from us. Lilly was a precocious kid, curious about lots of things, always talking and laughing. She was a straight shooter and she’d call you on your BS, but she was kind, almost always had a smile on her face and she always thought of others. She was a unique spirit with a light that burned brightly.
I worked with Lilly’s dad for a number of years (we’re both scientists) and he’d always said that I needed to come to their house to teach his daughters how to make a sour cream chocolate chip banana bread that he loved. I think Lilly was 10 when I first met her…I’ll never forget the day. It was late April, we had plans to go tip-toeing through the tulips and then home to bake banana bread. When we were making the bread, she apologized for the fact that she didn’t like chocolate chips in her banana bread and asked if we could make one without (the apology was a very Lilly thing to do). I said absolutely, the recipe is enough to make 2 loaves, we can do one with and one without.
About a year and a half later, we were driving home after a Red Sox game and Lilly mentioned having gone horseback riding recently and I mentioned I hadn’t done that since I was probably her age, maybe younger. Her response....do you want to go!? Dad-can we go horseback riding? A plan was made, we’d go that fall. Our first plan got rained out and the makeup didn’t happen because Lilly wasn’t feeling well; within a few weeks she’d been diagnosed with leukemia and was in the hospital starting treatment (just a few weeks after her 12th birthday).
When her family shared the news, I thought no worries, I have 2 friends who beat this type of cancer (years ago when there weren't as many treatment options), she's young, strong, has an indomitable spirit…she’ll kick cancer’s ass. Her treatment was supposed to last for 3 years (she had a form generally seen in older adults not teenagers). I remember talking with her about the upcoming treatment-she was pretty matter of fact about what was coming her way and she didn’t really seem scared by what was ahead. The one thing she did seem nervous about was losing her hair (I totally understood, she had beautiful curly brown hair); she asked me if I thought her hair would come back the same as it was before the chemo. I said maybe, maybe not, as I had friends whose hair had come back the same and others different (curly instead of straight or a different color).
Despite some ups and downs, she made it through the first year of treatment and the leukemia was in remission. She fought with grace and a maturity beyond her years. I remember stories of her playing with younger kids who were also in the ward, giving comfort to other kids when they weren’t having the best of days. Unfortunately, about 18 months in she was diagnosed with a second form of cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, where your bone marrow essentially quits working) and required a bone marrow transplant. A donor was found and she started to prepare for the next round in the fight. This time, she said her hair was going on vacation again, so why not dye it purple (her favorite color)! Thinking of that still brings a smile to my face.
Post-transplant, her new immune system had engraftment and she fought her way through many complications. I visited her in the ICU a number of times and we’d talk about what was going on in the world-everything and anything - from what was going to be our next baking project to politics. One night we shopped online for puppy Halloween costumes; she was going to dress up as Coraline and her new puppy Ollie needed something as well. Unfortunately, she wasn’t home for Halloween as we thought she would be and sadly, she left the physical world not long after Halloween.
Lilly and I were only friends for a relatively short time here in the physical world, but this young lady, she brought laughter and light into my world (and everyone she met). She taught me that fear and being out of your comfort zone are not reasons to back away from a challenge. So, to honor my friend Lilly this year, I’ve decided to challenge myself to complete the 2 day ride from Wellesley to Provincetown, 168 total miles (the longest single ride I’ve done to date is 42 miles this past September and I’ve only been back to riding a bike for about a year). I’m also going way out of my comfort zone and have pledged to raise $5500. I’ve never liked asking anyone for money, heck I dropped out of the brownies because I didn’t want to have to go door to door and ask people to buy cookies.
While great progress has been made in treating cancer, there is still more work to be done (many of my colleagues do this work every day). Some cancers still have few treatment options, some therapies can have life threatening side effects. Those side effects can lead to particular therapies being stopped and sometimes alternate replacement therapies aren’t available (something that happened to Lilly once). In addition to more and better treatment options, work is needed on effective ways to treat the complications – like sepsis that can develop after an infection, the thing that took Lilly from us. So I’m riding to honor Lilly’s fight and life; I’m raising money in the hopes that research will lead to a future where no one has to go through the pain and loss that Lilly’s friends and family are working through right now.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story and for your support.
I love you Lilly, this ride is for you!
2024 - This is now my 5th year being a rider for the PMC, and will be my 3rd virtual ride. I had hoped to be back on my bike, joining my friends for the ride from Wellesley to Provincetown, but alas my hip replacement surgery got delayed until this February. Since I'm on motion restrictions until June I didn't think I would be able to do enough training to handle the 2 day ride. So to be cautious, I've signed up to do the reimagined ride this year, which means I'll be logging my miles across the summer instead of on an official PMC route. This year the PMC expects it's donation will surpass the 1 Billion dollar mark, raised by riders over the history of the PMC. That's a mind blowing number and I have to admit, I want to be a part of the PMC achieving that goal. As I scientist, I know how important those dollars are to the scientists on the front lines trying to understand what drives cancer along with looking for new treatments. This past year I've again seen cancer touch the lives of friends and I'm in awe of their strength and grace. So thanks for reading this (if you keep reading you can see my whole PMC history) and if you're able to make a donation in support of my ride, thank you very much.
2023 - I'm now a veteran of 2 in person PMC rides and I think last year's ride might be one of the most challenging things I've ever done with temps and humidity in the high 90s. I've also never been more proud of a ride or more impressed with all the PMC riders, their hearts and passion. This year I'm doing a virtual ride as I don't think my arthritic hip is up for the 2 days this year. But as the weather gets warmer and I go back outside for some rides, I can't help but think of the PMC and wish that I was riding with everyone this year. So I've decided to contribute this year by doing a virtual ride as the fight to find novel, more effective, more selective and even personalized treatments for cancer continues and every dollar raised could lead to a new breakthrough. The money I raise will support the team I joined last year, the FLAMES, which sponsors research focused on adult cancers and lymphoma/leukemia. Following is the history of my PMC rides and why I got started in the first place. Thank you for your support.
2022 - Last year, I did my first in person PMC ride and I remember being really nervous about it, not knowing what to expect or if I'd be able to complete the ride. I made it through both days and to my surprise was pain free after completing it. I do remember waiting for my ferry back to Boston and thinking...oh my god, the Cape is so NOT flat and I'm not sure I'll ever do that again. In December I was in my local Lenscrafters and started to speak to one of the sales staff. As we talked, the PMC ride came up and she asked me how it went-turns out we'd talked earlier in the summer when I'd gone in to see if I could get clear lenses for my Oakley glasses (they were such a lifesaver during the rainy Ride the Rhode). We had connected because her son was being treated at Dana Farber and was to be one of the kids with a featured picture on the ride. She took my hand and thanked me for riding, tears welling up in our eyes. I asked how her son was doing and he was doing well. In January when my friends asked if I was going to ride again this year, I thought of this woman and her son and said why not and signed up again to ride. Need a reason to get out there and ride, after all right? :D
I still think of Lilly often. Every time I see a turquoise dot or streak in a photo, I know that's Lilly saying hello. I now think of my rides as part of Lilly's legacy. She was a lovely young lady that brought laughter and joy wherever she went. I may never have ever tried a PMC ride were it not for Lilly's strength and inspiring me to do something that I thought might not be possible.
So once again, if you're able to make a donation (of any amount) in support of my ride, let me say thank you in advance. I couldn't meet the goal without your support and for those going through the journey and their families, it means so very much.
2021-Last year I signed up to ride in my first PMC ride in honor of my friend Lilly (I've left that story below because she is still a driving force for my ride), but due to the pandemic, my first ride became virtual (and about 1/4 the distance of the actual ride). One thing that the pandemic didn't take away, and maybe made more challenging, is the fight against cancer. In the past year I've seen friends battle against cancer and so far they're all winning, but I know not everyone is that fortunate. A family member lost a dear frend to a reccurence; it was unexpected, quick. and devasting to friends and family. i hope the funds that I raise will help us reach a time where those losses no longer happen.
If you're in a situation where you are able to make charitable donations, I would appreciate your support of my ride. Thanks for reading this far and the story of my inspiration is below.
Thank you
2020 - I wouldn't be surprised if everyone reading this has been touched by cancer in some way - either through a friend, a family member, or maybe personally. The first time I was touched by cancer was over 30 years ago-a college friend, I met her the year after she waged her battle (while taking classes) against leukemia. Since then I've had several friends who have fought cancer - leukemia, skin, stomach, or breast cancer - and fortunately they've all won their fights, that is until last year.
This past year, I lost my friend Lilly a week shy of her 14th birthday. As her young friend Jayin said, she won her battles against the cancer, it was complications of the treatments that took her from us. Lilly was a precocious kid, curious about lots of things, always talking and laughing. She was a straight shooter and she’d call you on your BS, but she was kind, almost always had a smile on her face and she always thought of others. She was a unique spirit with a light that burned brightly.
I worked with Lilly’s dad for a number of years (we’re both scientists) and he’d always said that I needed to come to their house to teach his daughters how to make a sour cream chocolate chip banana bread that he loved. I think Lilly was 10 when I first met her…I’ll never forget the day. It was late April, we had plans to go tip-toeing through the tulips and then home to bake banana bread. When we were making the bread, she apologized for the fact that she didn’t like chocolate chips in her banana bread and asked if we could make one without (the apology was a very Lilly thing to do). I said absolutely, the recipe is enough to make 2 loaves, we can do one with and one without.
About a year and a half later, we were driving home after a Red Sox game and Lilly mentioned having gone horseback riding recently and I mentioned I hadn’t done that since I was probably her age, maybe younger. Her response....do you want to go!? Dad-can we go horseback riding? A plan was made, we’d go that fall. Our first plan got rained out and the makeup didn’t happen because Lilly wasn’t feeling well; within a few weeks she’d been diagnosed with leukemia and was in the hospital starting treatment (just a few weeks after her 12th birthday).
When her family shared the news, I thought no worries, I have 2 friends who beat this type of cancer (years ago when there weren't as many treatment options), she's young, strong, has an indomitable spirit…she’ll kick cancer’s ass. Her treatment was supposed to last for 3 years (she had a form generally seen in older adults not teenagers). I remember talking with her about the upcoming treatment-she was pretty matter of fact about what was coming her way and she didn’t really seem scared by what was ahead. The one thing she did seem nervous about was losing her hair (I totally understood, she had beautiful curly brown hair); she asked me if I thought her hair would come back the same as it was before the chemo. I said maybe, maybe not, as I had friends whose hair had come back the same and others different (curly instead of straight or a different color).
Despite some ups and downs, she made it through the first year of treatment and the leukemia was in remission. She fought with grace and a maturity beyond her years. I remember stories of her playing with younger kids who were also in the ward, giving comfort to other kids when they weren’t having the best of days. Unfortunately, about 18 months in she was diagnosed with a second form of cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, where your bone marrow essentially quits working) and required a bone marrow transplant. A donor was found and she started to prepare for the next round in the fight. This time, she said her hair was going on vacation again, so why not dye it purple (her favorite color)! Thinking of that still brings a smile to my face.
Post-transplant, her new immune system had engraftment and she fought her way through many complications. I visited her in the ICU a number of times and we’d talk about what was going on in the world-everything and anything - from what was going to be our next baking project to politics. One night we shopped online for puppy Halloween costumes; she was going to dress up as Coraline and her new puppy Ollie needed something as well. Unfortunately, she wasn’t home for Halloween as we thought she would be and sadly, she left the physical world not long after Halloween.
Lilly and I were only friends for a relatively short time here in the physical world, but this young lady, she brought laughter and light into my world (and everyone she met). She taught me that fear and being out of your comfort zone are not reasons to back away from a challenge. So, to honor my friend Lilly this year, I’ve decided to challenge myself to complete the 2 day ride from Wellesley to Provincetown, 168 total miles (the longest single ride I’ve done to date is 42 miles this past September and I’ve only been back to riding a bike for about a year). I’m also going way out of my comfort zone and have pledged to raise $5500. I’ve never liked asking anyone for money, heck I dropped out of the brownies because I didn’t want to have to go door to door and ask people to buy cookies.
While great progress has been made in treating cancer, there is still more work to be done (many of my colleagues do this work every day). Some cancers still have few treatment options, some therapies can have life threatening side effects. Those side effects can lead to particular therapies being stopped and sometimes alternate replacement therapies aren’t available (something that happened to Lilly once). In addition to more and better treatment options, work is needed on effective ways to treat the complications – like sepsis that can develop after an infection, the thing that took Lilly from us. So I’m riding to honor Lilly’s fight and life; I’m raising money in the hopes that research will lead to a future where no one has to go through the pain and loss that Lilly’s friends and family are working through right now.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story and for your support.
I love you Lilly, this ride is for you!
| David Morse | $50.00 |
| 2025 | $50.00 | PMC Fundraiser |
| 2024 | $2,169.19 | Reimagined |
| 2023 | $991.65 | Virtual Ride |
| 2022 | $10,143.10 | Wellesley to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2021 | $9,444.52 | Wellesley to Provincetown Monument (2-Day) |
| 2020 | $4,480.45 | Wellesley to Provincetown Monument (2-Day) |
