Dear Potential PMC Donor:

I am again riding the 84 miles, from Wellesley to Bourne this year with the PopSciCycles group named after the McGraw/Patterson Division of Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber which was created in honor of Stuart Patterson's father, W. Bradford Patterson, who joined the DFCI in the late 1970s. (I will be riding the 84 miles with Stuart Patterson and his family.) I am also riding to honor Ellie, the yound girl pictured above, who has survived cancer and is back to good health, thanks to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

I have had the privilege of knowing many patients (over my 32 years of practicing gastroenterology) who have been diagnosed with various GI malignancies (colon, liver, pancreatic, esophageal, biliary...), many of whom were cured of the malignancy, while others unfortunately succumbed to it . From all of those individuals, as well as involved family and friends, I have witnessed an unfathomable range of humanity: from pain, suffering and despair, to joy, kindness and extreme acts of caring. All have touched me deeply, humbled me, and fortified my gratefulness for the opportunity to have participated in their lives in some small manner. And many of those patients owe their ultimate good fortune to DFCI. Over the course of my career in medicine, I have fortunately seen more joy than despair as cancer treatment has advanced.

I am confident that these PMC donations will greatly facilitate more rapid advances in cancer treatment, and I am exceedingly grateful for any donation (tax deductible) you can make towards this worthy cause--very much appreciated!!!

John Vermeulen

PMC gift ID: JV0098

PS: Checks can be made out to PMC/Jimmy Fund. Write gift ID: JV0098 on check.

Or go to PMC.ORG web site and donate online.