On January 30, 2014, our beloved daughter Dana Parker lost her 4-year battle with Sarcoma (a rare soft tissue cancer) at age 40.  In honor of Dana and in tribute to her brave and relentless battle, our new PMC Sarcoma Cycling Brigade team will continue her fight, along with that of all sarcoma patients, by supporting the quest for a cure and helping to raise Sarcoma awareness!  Since 2010, our family has supported the Pan-Mass Challenge as cyclists and volunteers.  100% of all money raised in conjunction with the PMC’s two-day bicycle ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown, MA, goes directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to help fund cancer research and innovative patient therapies -- getting “closer by the mile” to curing cancer.

At the time of her diagnosis, Dana was living in Atlanta with her husband and two young children.  While totally unfamiliar with sarcoma, our family quickly learned how critical it was for Dana to be treated at a major sarcoma center and research hospital.  How blessed we were to be living in New England, in close proximity to Dana-Farber -- one of the three top sarcoma centers in the country!  Dana-Farber subsequently developed, provided and directed Dana’s cancer treatment throughout her journey.

Under Dr. Suzanne George and her team’s compassionate care, and through our firsthand experience of their routine consultation and collaboration with sarcoma colleagues around the world, we have no doubt that Dana’s treatment plan was the best available at the time.  Our long-standing dedication to supporting the PMC is testament to our hope and belief that curing cancer appears to finally be within sight.  Dana-Farber is clearly a leader and major player in that search for a cure!  Through our ties to Dana-Farber and its sarcoma community, we continue to learn of major research breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating cancer, made possible in great part to the PMC’s financial support.

We trust that your support of our team will “help make history!”  Thank you!!!