As many of you know, I was 15 weeks pregnant with my oldest son, Ryder, when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer…Stage 4 Lung Cancer. To say that we were shocked is an understatement – the thought of losing her was absolutely terrifying. In January of 2011, she began the fight for her life. For the next two and a half years she drove to Boston from NH with my Dad for treatment – over thirty rounds of chemo, radiation, two plus years of immunotherapy, and more radiation. While she hasn’t had immunotherapy in over two and a half years, the past eighteen months have presented some of the biggest challenges since her diagnosis, and despite it all, my Mom’s perseverance and determination in the face of such a terrifying ordeal are beyond admirable; she truly is my hero. Her zest for life has never waned, her heart has never loved more, and the joy in her grandchildren’s eyes when they hear us so much as mention “Mimi” is more infectious than ever.

On August 3rd and 4th, I am proud to once again be saddling up along side members of Team LUNGstrong for my THIRD Pan-Mass Challenge to raise funds for lung cancer research at the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). I am even more thrilled that my mom will be there once again to cheer on our team as we head out of Wellesley and make the turn into Dover en route to Provincetown!!

Lung Cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, killing more people than breast, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers combined. Currently, lung cancer is the LEADING cause of cancer death among women. In the United States alone, some 193 women will die from lung cancer TODAY (that is ONE every SEVEN minutes), many of whom have been blamed for their diagnosis! Despite these grim statistics, lung cancer remains the LEAST FUNDED cancer in terms of research dollars per death of ALL major cancers. Additionally, although the five-year mortality rate for lung cancer hovers between 18% and 20% (WELL below other cancers), the good news is that PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, and DFCI is at the forefront of this research. Since my mom's diagnosis, there have been more treatments approved by the FDA than in the previous twenty years!! Incredibly, DFCI has been part of the research process for almost all of these new protocols! As more research is conducted around genomics and personal therapies, the more successful we will be in fight against lung and the more hope we will give to those, like my mom, who are fighting this terrible disease.

This year, I have once again committed to riding the 163 mile, two-day trek with Team LUNGstrong, and I really hope you will join me in my commitment to raise $5,000 for lung cancer research! My mom is here today, BEATING the odds EIGHT AND A HALF years after her diagnosis, because of the incredible work at DFCI and organizations that support their efforts, like the Pan-Mass Challenge and LUNGstrong, none of which would be possible without the generosity of you and so many others. Survivors, caregivers, loved ones, friends, advocates, practitioners, doctors, ALL of whom work tirelessly to broaden the understanding, break the stigma, increase funding, and advance research for lung cancer. ALL donations are tax deductible and because every penny matters, the PMC donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar DIRECTLY to Dana-Farber, raising more than 52% of the annual revenue at The Jimmy Fund®!!

Thank you all in advance to all of you for your support – it truly means so much to so many!