Since I began riding the Pan-Mass Challenge in 2021 your generous and enduring support has allowed me to raise $30,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute –– more than $11,000 of that during PMC 2023 alone when I rode in honor of 9-year-old osteosarcoma patient Anya Rhodes, directing my 2023 fundraising to Dr. Katie Janeway's osteosarcoma research. The Janeway Lab focuses on genomics, precision oncology, and bone sarcomas and has uncovered the genomic events causing and sustaining difficult-to-treat childhood solid malignancies. Thankfully, since her rotationplasty surgery, all of Anya's follow up scans have been negative for the disease. Anya radiates an infectious happiness that impacts everyone around her, especially me!
Once again, Dr. Katie Janeway, Director of Clinical Genomics and Senior Physcian at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and Director of the Janeway Lab for Pediatric Oncology: Genomics, Precision, Bone Sarcomas. And Anya's super oncologist!
Dr. Jennifer Brown, Director of the CLL Center of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and director of The Brown Lab. Jennifer is my awesome oncologist who has managed my non-Hodgkin's lymphoma through 14 cancer-free years with near-perfect semi-annual labs. These days we only have to address frequent spikes of anemia, and an annual infusion for osteoperosis, a side effect from my earlier treatments.
The Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living –– my PMC riding team.
You may remember that last year I bested my personal PMC record both in ride-time and production, beating my 2022 distance by 20 miles. Last year I road 64 miles in 5 hours –– that's 12.8 mph, compared to 44 miles in 5 hours in PMC 2022 –– only 8.8 mph. What kept me kept from riding 21 more miles to the Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne last year, was the trike's unsupportive mesh seat bed. Even with the memory foam topper I added, I learned the hard way that this 42-pound touring-style trike was just not built for long-distance cycling. I now have my eyes on a 30-pound British trike –– built specifically for racing and long distance riding, with high tech gearing and a spine-supportive polycarbonate seat bed –– the ICE VTX. I'm hoping this will be my ride next year for PMC 2025! I'll begin by applying for a disabled athletes grant this fall to start raising money for the VTX.
Unfortunately, my medical team has advised me not to ride this year, especially in my current heavy trike. New severe nerve root disease pain surfaced last November and subsequent scans exposed broken pedicle screws and separated steel rods in the 2015 pelvis-to-T10 spine reconstruction. Fortunately, I was assured that my long-distance trike-riding was not the primary culprit. Rather, this was more the result of failed hardware. The scans also uncovered new kyphosis and scoliosis that developed further up my spine. So, this past February 5th I underwent a 9+ hour surgery to revise and repair the original reconstruction, and to add new superstructure from T10 up to T4 –– nearly to my neck! The reappearance of old blood clots in both legs and related complications were dicovered as well and this contributed to the medical advice to skip riding this year.
But that's not all. I'm facing a 5+ hour surgery at BWH tomorrow, June 17th, to address additional failed hardware; specifically, a critical superstructure-supporting pedicle screw on the left side that was not seen in earlier scans. This time I expect to be sent home in 3-5 days and not to Spaulding's Charlestown facility, with outpatient physical therapy through Spaulding in Wellesley.
So, for PMC 2024, I will be volunteering in the Info Booth at the Wellesley/Babson College location. But you can be sure I'll be back on the trail for PMC 2025!
Since I began riding the Pan-Mass Challenge in 2021 your generous and enduring support has allowed me to raise $30,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute –– more than $11,000 of that during PMC 2023 alone when I rode in honor of 9-year-old osteosarcoma patient Anya Rhodes, directing my 2023 fundraising to Dr. Katie Janeway's osteosarcoma research. The Janeway Lab focuses on genomics, precision oncology, and bone sarcomas and has uncovered the genomic events causing and sustaining difficult-to-treat childhood solid malignancies. Thankfully, since her rotationplasty surgery, all of Anya's follow up scans have been negative for the disease. Anya radiates an infectious happiness that impacts everyone around her, especially me!
Once again, Dr. Katie Janeway, Director of Clinical Genomics and Senior Physcian at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and Director of the Janeway Lab for Pediatric Oncology: Genomics, Precision, Bone Sarcomas. And Anya's super oncologist!
Dr. Jennifer Brown, Director of the CLL Center of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and director of The Brown Lab. Jennifer is my awesome oncologist who has managed my non-Hodgkin's lymphoma through 14 cancer-free years with near-perfect semi-annual labs. These days we only have to address frequent spikes of anemia, and an annual infusion for osteoperosis, a side effect from my earlier treatments.
The Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living –– my PMC riding team.
You may remember that last year I bested my personal PMC record both in ride-time and production, beating my 2022 distance by 20 miles. Last year I road 64 miles in 5 hours –– that's 12.8 mph, compared to 44 miles in 5 hours in PMC 2022 –– only 8.8 mph. What kept me kept from riding 21 more miles to the Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne last year, was the trike's unsupportive mesh seat bed. Even with the memory foam topper I added, I learned the hard way that this 42-pound touring-style trike was just not built for long-distance cycling. I now have my eyes on a 30-pound British trike –– built specifically for racing and long distance riding, with high tech gearing and a spine-supportive polycarbonate seat bed –– the ICE VTX. I'm hoping this will be my ride next year for PMC 2025! I'll begin by applying for a disabled athletes grant this fall to start raising money for the VTX.
Unfortunately, my medical team has advised me not to ride this year, especially in my current heavy trike. New severe nerve root disease pain surfaced last November and subsequent scans exposed broken pedicle screws and separated steel rods in the 2015 pelvis-to-T10 spine reconstruction. Fortunately, I was assured that my long-distance trike-riding was not the primary culprit. Rather, this was more the result of failed hardware. The scans also uncovered new kyphosis and scoliosis that developed further up my spine. So, this past February 5th I underwent a 9+ hour surgery to revise and repair the original reconstruction, and to add new superstructure from T10 up to T4 –– nearly to my neck! The reappearance of old blood clots in both legs and related complications were dicovered as well and this contributed to the medical advice to skip riding this year.
But that's not all. I'm facing a 5+ hour surgery at BWH tomorrow, June 17th, to address additional failed hardware; specifically, a critical superstructure-supporting pedicle screw on the left side that was not seen in earlier scans. This time I expect to be sent home in 3-5 days and not to Spaulding's Charlestown facility, with outpatient physical therapy through Spaulding in Wellesley.
So, for PMC 2024, I will be volunteering in the Info Booth at the Wellesley/Babson College location. But you can be sure I'll be back on the trail for PMC 2025!
I have chosen to keep all of my donors' information confidential; therefore it is not displayed on my PMC public donor list.
| 2025 | $0.00 | PMC Volunteer |
| 2024 | $3,120.00 | Reimagined and Volunteer |
| 2023 | $11,225.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) and Volunteer |
| 2022 | $9,500.00 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) |
| 2021 | $9,159.22 | Wellesley to Bourne (1-Day, Sat) and Volunteer |
