Family and Friends:

With one in two men and one in three women in America being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, most of us know someone who has been affected by this devastating disease.

For me, this person is my father, Ken Stevenson.

Christmas 2015, while many people were celebrating the joys of the holidays, mine was a little bit different. I showed up to my sister's house thinking we were about to celebrate with family and friends like every other year. After we opened gifts, my parents pulled me aside and told me that my father had the early onset of a blood cancer. I didn't even know how to react. More ironic is that for many years I had coached athletes and participated in the Team in Training program which raises funds for the Leukemia and & Lymphoma Society. I have met so many people that have had a personal connection to blood cancers but was fortunate to not have that personal connection myself. In simply wanting to give back to others, I now realized that all of the funds I helped raise have been towards advancing treatments for patients like my father.

My Dad started a clinical trial in January 2016 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. That seemed to be working well for him and we were all full of optimism. However, one day things suddenly changed. Upon a regular visit, he was now told that the leukemia had advanced and he would need to start chemotherapy treatments immediately. He was now admitted into Roswell. It's hard to think of anyone going through these treatments, but it was even harder to watch my Dad go through it. He was always the rock of our family and the true strength behind us all and we knew he would fight through this. In early September 2016 he was fortunate enough to get a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor in Germany. For this, my family will forever be grateful. Even if the transplant didn't end with a happily ever after.

Dad had complications from the transplant and developed severe graft versus host disease. He was a fighter, for months and months. He was in so much pain and eventually the battle came to an end. We got to spend our final days together in Dad's room by his side. There is nothing in this world that prepares you to say goodbye to the person that gave you everything in life. On April 3, 2017 Dad took his final breath and was reunited with other loved ones of his past. The void from that day has not, and never will be filled. Life will never be the same.

Throughout Dad's cancer journey, the Doctors and staff at Roswell were absolutely incredible. While nothing I can do will bring Dad back, I know we can still do more for those like my Dad and every other person affected daily by this terrible disease.

Please help me make a difference, in memory of my Dad, and so many others battling this disease, by supporting me in The Ride For Roswell in 2021. Cancer doesn't stop, especially in a pandemic! All funds raised through The Ride support cutting-edge research and compassionate, innovative patient care programs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Please consider making a donation today. With your help, we can help find the cures, save lives of our loved ones, and make this terrible disease a thing of the past.

Dad - This 7th Ride for Roswell ride is for you! XOXO

Love,

Jackie