I know cancer - I've seen a lot of cancer. When I joined Roswell in 2016, I'll be honest, I didn't know cancer. Not close to home at least.
Then one day, it hit home. My mom was diagnosed in 2019, began treatment, continued treatment as the pandemic started, and by the grace of God and the good work of Roswell Park, my mom is cancer free.
Before my Mom's mammogram, she said, I'm 70 - do I really even need a mammogram? YES - that mammogram was the first step in saving my Mom's life. Roswell was the second.
Just before the holidays in 2022, Joe's niece, Sarah, was just not feeling well. At all. Many tests that were inconclusive, wrong diagnosis. Finally, and wildly unfortunately, she came to Roswell and it was found to be stage 3B lymphoma... at 21 years old!
Thanks to the diligence of her family, her aunt, a pediatric oncologist at Roswell, and the other amazing members of her oncology team, Sarah, today, is cancer free. I can't not get choked up every time I say this.
In the past 8 years, I can unfortunately say, I know cancer ... all too well. And it's ugly and it's difficult and it's stressful and it's scary. It's ALL THE THINGS.
BUT, we are so so so blessed to have Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in our community. One of only 57 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in our nation, we have access to a leader around the globe.
I boldly ask you to support me in my Ride for Roswell efforts because together we truly can change the way cancer affects our loved ones.
I thank you in advance - especially those who year after year are so incredibly generous everytime I ask for Ride support.
And from the bottom of my heart, I hope and pray you actually don't know cancer... ever.