In spring of 2017, my family lost two wonderful women to cancer within months of each other. The first was my mom, Helen, who died of non-small cell lung cancer located in her upper right lung. The second was my aunt Betty, who developed metastatic liver cancer. Both diseases progressed quickly and were compounded by the difficulty in diagnosing them early on.

My mom chose to fight and my aunt chose palliative care. The chemo and radiation road for my mom was very difficult and in the end we're not sure if it was the cancer or the treatment which eventually led to her death. My aunt, on the other hand, was able to spend a peaceful, comfortable two months at home with her family before she passed.

I am riding the 80 mile Sunday PMC Challenge this year in the hope that the money we raise can be used to help improve recognition of cancer's early warning signs and also to put more statisical research into the decision on whether to fight or accept palliative care. At older ages, the decision to fight can bring with it a series of intense side-effects that we all saw first hand with my mom's experience. The balance of these side effects against the quality of life offered by palliative care is something that patients have a right to fully understand. I hope that having more accurate numbers on survival rates vs age along with access to information on the benefits of palliative care, the decision will be made easier for people who are going through very emotional, trying times.

Thank you so much for your support!

-Mike

PS - Please check with your employer to see if they offer matching gifts using the site below. Many large companies will match your donation:

http://www.matchinggifts.com/pmc