This summer will be my 9th year riding the PMC. My dad, Michael, got me involved as soon as I was old enough to participate. My sister, Daniella, joined us next, followed eventually by my Mom, KC, riding as well. My boyfriend, Matt, has also become a PMCer, and I am excited to say we have both comitted to the 200 mile ride this August.
Why I Ride has changed for me over the years. In the beginning it was for family and friends that had been impacted by cancer. To honor them, and raise money to improve treatment regimens and find cures for cancers that do not yet have strong treatment plans. Two years ago my why became even more personal.
In 2018 just a year after graduating college I started to feel strange. My appetite was off, I was having night sweats, shortness of breath, pain with drinking alcohol etc. After an appointment with my Primary Care doctor I ended up in the emergency room where a CT Scan showed I had an 11 cm mass in my chest pushing against my heart and lungs. After multiple biopsies and a surgery I was diagnosed with Stage III B Hodgkins Lymphoma. I immediately started 6 months of chemotherapy, followed by a month of daily radiation. After all that treatment there was still a lingering spot we kept an eye on for a year unsure if it was cancer or just some benign inflammation. When the spot started to grow at the end of 2019 I had a very invasive and difficult surgery to biopsy the area of concern. I learned there was still Hodgkins present right before New Years. My biggest fear had come true - I needed a Stem Cell transplant. If you are keeping up with my timeline…this news came just a couple months before the Covid 19 Pandemic. After more chemo and some waiting, the hospitals started doing transplants again. In May of 2020, in the peak of the pandemic, I had an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant. I was in isolation for 3 full weeks and not allowed any visitors. My family and friends came to my window every day to wave, hold up signs for me, bring food, cards etc. On September 4th 2020, after a 2 year battle, my incredible oncologist called me to tell me I was in remission.
I was 22 years old, with no health conditions when I was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. The PMC donates 100% of the contributions made to riders like me to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to fund its research, drug development, and treatment efforts.
This year I will be donating the money I raise to lung cancer and blood cancer research. I will be riding in memory of friends I met during treatment that lost their lives, and to remind myself how lucky I am to feel healthy and be able to ride a bike hundreds of miles. At this point, cancer has likely affected everyone in some way. The PMC's goal, and my goal, is to reach a point where cancer treatment is as simple as taking a pill and where every type of cancer has a successful treatment. Please consider donating to my ride to help reach this goal! Nobody fights alone.
