In October of this past year, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. I am riding 192 miles in my 8th Pan Mass Challenge so that together, we can find a cure for cancer through innovative cancer research and care.
Why I ride
Doctors found a lump by my mom’s right breast while running pre-op scans for triple bypass surgery. A small, ugly lump, hiding nearly behind her sternum, lying in wait. We are lucky they found it, lucky it was early, lucky that so far it hadn’t spread … so, so, so lucky. On April 26, 2019, her birthday, my mom rang the Bell of Hope signaling what we hope will be her last radiation treatment. But as many of you know, one of most insidious things about cancer is the uncertainty. Is she cured? Will it come back? If it does, will it be worse? We’ll just have to wait, watch, and see.
So when I’m asked why I keep logging long hours in the saddle and asking my favorite people for money year after year (by far the hardest part!), this is the answer: because every.single.year, there is a new reason to ride. Many of you see my annual list, and you know that it every year, it is longer. I started for the 3 Dads for Laura, Kate and Jo. Then Sandy, Joe, our beloved dog Henry.
But every year, I also see living proof that we are getting better at treating cancer, thanks in large part to generosity like yours. I ride in gratitude for my mom-in-law Kay, my uncles, my friends like Betsy, Sue, Nicole who all now ride– my mom.
That’s why I appreciate any amount that you can contribute towards ending cancer. 100% of every dollar you donate goes directly to Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), a global leader in cancer research and innovative patient care. One of the essential functions of Pan Mass money is to fill gaps from other funding – seed money for new drug and treatment trials, patient and family lodging and other quality of life services that aren’t covered by insurance, global tracking and treatment of cancer. All of these are part of caring for those who have cancer, and finding a cure. Since 1980, the Pan-Mass Challenge has raised more than $500 million for adult and pediatric cancer care and research at DFCI. Every year that you give and I ride, we move the needle closer to towards ending cancer.
As I share every year, the PMC truly transforms the shock of cancer into action and hope. During the ride, Living Proof riders wear jerseys that show us that ending cancer is possible. Along the road, we are cheered by other survivors with signs such as, “I am 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 12 years old now because of you.” One year I pedaled past a house with this sign: “This breast cancer survivor is usually here cheering for you – but I am at the hospital giving birth thanks to Dana Farber!” These are the signs of hope, the signs that together, you and I can create a world free of cancer. Thank you, so very much, for any amount you can contribute.
