This year I am so honored to be a part of Kirby's Dream Team. Kirby had been coming to my yoga classes for over a year (prior to the COVID-19 Crisis). She was always such a bright source of light and inspiration. I am so glad that she found yoga as a source of comfort on her path to wellness but its truly Kirby who taught me so much about resilence and strength.
Kirby’s Dream Team was formed by family and friends of Kirby Grochal to raise money for Kirby's Fund for Innovative Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Research.
Just days after giving birth to her daughter Sydney in April of 2018, Kirby was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of neuroendocrine cancer and was told she had a year to live. A week later, she started intense chemotherapy to stop the growth of her cancer which had already spread from her pancreas to her liver. The six rounds of chemo were brutal, but also fortunately effective in shrinking the tumors.
Kirby was stable, enjoying a break from treatment until February of this year when she found out the cancer had spread to her brain. She underwent surgery and radiation and is currently recovering. She plans to keep fighting to be here for many years to come for her two children and her husband Andrew.
There is currently no cure for her form of cancer, and so we’re relying on cutting edge medical research to stay ahead of this disease and someday, to add neuroendocrine carcinoma to the list of cancers that are fully treatable and curable. All donations will go directly to innovative research that will help Kirby and the many others who are battling the same terrible disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most urgent health crisis faced by our country in several generations, and the virus is even more threatening if you are battling cancer and have a compromised immune system. This crisis has brought significant new challenges and costs to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as they work tirelessly to fulfill their mission to provide extraordinary care and perform critical cancer research, all while protecting their patients and staff.
And here is a link to an article I contributed to a few years ago about yoga poses for cyclists!
https://www.bostonyoga.com/9-yoga-poses-for-cyclists/
