There is no better way to celebrate my graduation as a newly certified Physician Assistant working in oncology than riding in the PMC for year #10! To top it off, the PMC expects to reach their BILLION-dollar donation mark!
In February of 2015, my mom, Connie Peterson, passed away from terminal cholangiocarcinoma, a rare form of gallbladder and liver cancer. She had been diagnosed seven months earlier, at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. My mom was the hardest working and most caring person I knew. She cherished her family above all else and was not only deeply committed to her own health but also to that of her family. Despite this, cancer silently ravaged her body in its most vicious form.
While I couldn't change her fate, I knew I could fight back by helping other families avoid what we endured through furthering cancer research. I rode in the PMC for the first time in 2015, six months after she passed.
The PMC has profoundly shaped me in ways I never imagined when I first embarked on this journey. I'll begin working immediately after the PMC in August at New York Presbyterian, specializing in hematology and oncology. My journey in the medical profession has lent an even deeper significance to my PMC ride; I ride for each of my patients, their families, and for all those lost to cancer.
This year marks my tenth ride with team Big Lion, which includes my dad, Cris Peterson, and our good friend Lucy Smith. My mom received treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and we are forever grateful for their dedication to her and our family during our time of crisis.
Additionally, this year, we have joined forces with the PMC Pedal Partners program for the second year, dedicating our ride to Bennett (Benny), a dinosaur, superhero-loving 3-year-old currently undergoing treatment at Dana Farber for Parameningeal Rhabdomyosarcoma. Your donations directly impact not only his but countless others' futures.
100% of donations will go to Dana Farber. I cannot express enough gratitude to our donors; our ride is made possible because of you. Thank you.
