Hello friends and family!
Though I've done few fundraising events in my life, this one is the first I'm doing as a patient. Last fall after a physical with my new primary doctor, I got the news that a blood test was abnormal. One month and a biopsy later, the urologist called to tell me I had prostate cancer. My first thought was that I should've picked a different primary doctor!
I don't know how one can be prepared to hear the words you have cancer. As many know, this news comes with a mix of uncertainty, fear, and helplessness. For me, it also came with a determination to learn as much as possible, and an appreciation of how living close to Boston meant we would have access to some of the best cancer doctors and research in the world. At the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, I met teams of oncologists who collaborated to discuss treatment options - some even drew pictures! They made me feel that I wasn't alone and was on a path many have traveled. Most importantly, they used words like curable.
With surgery behind me, I am confident I will someday look back and say I beat cancer. In the meantime, I will ride the Pan-Mass Challenge in August as living proof of the benefit of cancer research. I will ride for those who are not able to. And I will ride for all of our friends and family who have been affected by this disease.
About the Pan-Mass Challenge
The Pan-Mass Challenge is a Massachusetts-based bike-a-thon to raise money for cancer research. And unlike other charities, 100 percent of your donation goes to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC raises more money for charity than any other single event in the country, $972 million since 1980 and $72 million in 2023 alone!
I've made a personal commitment to ride PMC 2024 and raise $10,000. I will be riding 85 miles from Wellesley, MA to Cape Cod.
I hope you can help me achieve this significant goal. Every donation brings us closer by the mile.
Thank you,
Jim
