Like many riders, there are a whole lost of reasons –the camaraderie, training, friendships, and ultimately reaching the goal that no cancer remains untreatable. Each year, however, I have a specific cause or person for which/whom I ride. Over the past 13 years of riding, I have honored or memorialized many –family, friends, and a few people whom I had never met, but whose story I couldn’t shake. It’s sad to say, but I have never ridden the PMC without someone special in my heart or on my mind.
Though I registered last year, I was unable to ride due to some pressing family needs. I lost my 92-year-old Dad, who had uncharacteristically visited the ER for breathing issues, was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. Deciding not to allow further testing and treatment, he passed away in very short order. Even more devastating, however, and just one month prior to Dad’s diagnosis, my 16-year-old granddaughter, Tessa, was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer –so rare that of the 2 million cancer cases diagnosed in the US in 2024, only 50 cases of this cancer were identified.
Like any other grandparent, I became very angry. Cancer had already claimed or affected and claimed so many family and close friends. Though his was difficult, I could handle my dad’s passing. He was 92 and had lived a wonderful full life –62 years married, 8 children, 26 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren! But Tessa’s diagnosis brought me to my knees. For weeks, there was a lot of doubt, a lot of anxiety, and my anger rose. I was angry with God –how could He allow Tessa to get cancer? How? After all that the family had already suffered, was it fair?” It was a dark period.
In June 2024, when initially diagnosed, I saw “my little princess”, Tessa, knocked down. She had many gifts –intelligence, beauty, a competitive runner, a talented equestrian, and most of all, a compassionate heart. A soon to be high school junior, she was knocked off her horse. I can only imagine the fear she felt, and why wuoldn't she at only 16! For a 16-year-old, it was devastating blow.
Later in the summer, I was (we all were) given a glimmer of hope provided by my own granddaughter, Tessa. It was like she had one day woke up and turned on the light. She questioned her doctors about what they suggested might happen with her trreatment regimen, and in many cases, she outright defied those suggestions. Overcoming her fear, Tessa became the warrior I have always known her to be. To her, this challenge was just that, another challenge that she would overcome - another test she would ace or another race she would run. She was determined -a determination, which I believe rose out of hope. Tessa rallied, putting complete faith in her medical team and the treatment process proposed. She nderstood that this situation was merely a challenge, and that God had guided her medical team and provided them with the insight and tools needed to win.
In mid-January, after the surgeries, chemo, so many injections, and the bone marrow transplant, Tessa is in remission. She is all caught up with her first semester academics, is participating in-person in all second semester academic classes and school meetings, taking the AP exams, attending all track practices with her teammates, and has even begun running again! What a comeback! She remains filled with hope, the hope of reclaiming her life as a teenager. God rekindled my hope and has given Tessa a positive spirit and determination.
I do believe that none of what we (Dana Farber, PMC, riders, etc.) do would be possible without God. He guided Billy Starr to the idea of creating a legacy to fight cancer, to create and develop the PMC to aid Dana Farber. And now the PMC is seeking to raise, not it's first, but its second billion dollars to better serve, not just Dana Farber, but the world. God gifts the doctors, the researchers, and Dana Farber, with the talents to create lifesaving treatment drugs and immunotherapies. I believe this, and that is why I, and so many cancer patients, have hope that cancer is not the end, but only a challenge to be overcome.
The PMC peddles on because what we do is bring hope, and hope is our covenant to all -until no cancer is untreatable. For as long as God allows, I will peddle on with the entire PMC community. This year, along with 6,800 like-minded PMC riders and 3,500 PMC volunteers, I will be riding with my three children, many family members, and several dear friends (Team Pedaling Paesans) to honor Tessa. I will also be riding in honor of Nancy whom I rode for last year, and who continues to fight and to hope for that miracle of miracles -a cure.
In pursuit of our goal that no cancer is untreatable and to help us provide the hope to so many, I hope you will support our ongoing efforts to eradicate cancer -Dana Farber, PMC, Team Pedaling Paesans, and me.
Every donation brings us closer by the mile.
Pedaling forward to a cure,
Joe Galluzzo
