I have tried many times to share “why I ride” this year and struggled to find what to say. I found myself needing to stop and breathe each time I tried to put these words in print. That is because this year I ride for my daughter. And that is really, really hard.

Last summer Tessa was diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer at age 16. Instead of spending her summer as any teenager should, starting her first job, spending time at the beach with friends, and getting her license (and independence) - she started 6 rounds of an intensive chemotherapy regimen that left her unable to be in school much of the fall and kept her off of the cross country trails and the track that she loves. After finishing up with a high dose chemo blast and subsequent bone marrow transplant in December, she is on the road to recovery.  She works hard every day to regain what she put on pause and exploring her “new normal”. There are no words to describe how much I am in awe of her strength and determination - she has shown me what it means to fight. She did not let her diagnosis stand in the way of her goals or her dreams.

So, here is why I ride. Tessa was fortunate to be transferred to Mass General Hospital and be treated by amazing, compassionate, and dedicated doctors and nurses who left their egos at the door and spent countless hours collaborating with oncologists at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (to name a few). You see, even though she was receiving treatment at MGH, there was an entire community of doctors around the world who were invested in her treatment and her recovery. The funds raised by organizations, like the PMC, go past the doors of just one hospital. Those funds support the research that it takes to give kids, like my daughter, the best chance at life. I now understand this - in supporting the PMC and Dana Farber - we are supporting ALL of those who need treatment. I am fortunate that this community has supported my mom, dad, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, and now my daughter, in this fight.

As we continue to fight with Tessa, I also want to fight for other families to have the same access to treatment as we have. I can only do this one small thing - but I know that everything the PMC does, makes a difference in the lives of so many people.

Please consider supporting PMC’s efforts as we fight for more cures!!!  I hope to make my girl proud!

Lisa Borgatti (Donation ID : LB0398)