“Tiny but mighty” was one of the many nicknames given to Sue when she was first diagnosed with ACC in May 2020 due to her relatively small stature and her tenacious fight. She has certainly lived up to this name throughout her ongoing battle with cancer, having completed both the Boston Marathon and the NYC Marathon in 2022 while participating in a clinical trial at Dana Farber. However, tiny but mighty doesn’t just apply to Sue. I also think it is an appropriate description of all the courageous patients currently battling this terrible disease, the doctors and nurses who are providing amazing care, the researchers who are working tirelessly for new treatments or a cure, and all the support staff who treat the patients and their families with such warmth and compassion. They are all tiny but mighty in their own right.
Tiny but mighty would have also perfectly described the PMC in 1980, when Billy Starr gathered 36 riders and 10 volunteers to raise $10,200 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In the 40-plus years since then, the PMC has grown into a philanthropic force, with approximately 6,800 riders and 3,000 volunteers coming together each summer to help raise over $900mm for Dana-Farber. While the PMC is no longer tiny, it is certainly still mighty!
Sue is doing well. She is currently on a clinical trial at Dana Farber that has stabilized her cancer. Trials like hers would not be possible without the funds raised through the PMC. Last year, the PMC raised a record-breaking $72 million; every one of those dollars goes directly to cancer research and treatment at Dana Farber. Please consider supporting my ride or any others who are riding in the PMC so we can continue to improve the outcomes for people like Sue and countless others who are battling this terrible disease.
If you prefer to write a check rather than donate online, please feel free to send one payable to PMC or Pan-Mass Challenge to me at 4 Crescent Road, Winchester, MA 01890.
Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
With hope and gratitude,
Dave, Sue, Mackensie, Zoe and Phoebe
