Edward Vamenta's Ride
My Links
| Luca's Light website |
| VIDEO PRESENTATION --- WHY WE RIDE BY "TEAM LUCA" Click here to meet Luca and the "Team Luca" riders |
| Sir Luca the Loving (scroll to the bottom of the page) |
| Eulogy of Luca Andrew De Lisi |
Why I Ride ...
Dear Friends and Family,
This being my third year as a "PMC'er" and another commitment to raising over $4,000 for cancer research and treatment, it is clear that this cause means a great deal to me. However, given the amount of enthusiasm and hope I have expressed after the first two PMC rides, you may be surprised to learn that my decision to commit to a third ride was filled with tremendous doubt and anxiety.
We live in uncertain economic times to be sure. So why would I commit to raising $4,200 when everything I read or hear screams of recession, shortages, layoffs, and cutbacks? Why would I authorize the PMC to charge my credit card the amount of my fundraising shortfall especially since last year I was $500 deficient of the $4,000 fundraising minimum? Never mind the fact that I recruited three people (my brother, neighbor and college buddy) to join Team Luca and thus effectively halved my donor base. Sure, I can be proud that my actions indirectly generated nearly $14K more for the war on cancer. But I still failed to achieve my own individual goal.
In the end, I decided that, for me, nothing is worse than complacency and that financial stress, while painful as it can be, pales in comparison to the anguish cancer inflicts on so many lives. Of course, I can only imagine the latter point since (thank God) my immediate relationship with cancer is mercifully known. But that is what makes cancer so evil-that any one of us through birth to seniority can be blindsided with the disease. And so my decision to ride is also borne out of fear-fear that my wife, my children, my family members and even you or those that you love could develop a malignant tumor�at any time.
Some of you may recall that in Team Luca's inaugural PMC ride in 2007, we rode on behalf of Ricky Hoffman, a (now) 11 year old boy with a brain tumor. For the past 1.5 years he has defied the odds of a 5% survival rate. And just when MRI after MRI showed no signs of tumor growth, on Jan 29, 2009, Ricky's mother wrote on her blog (http://www.carepages.com/carepages/RickHoffman/patient) the following:
"As we expected to hear, the tumor is definitely growing back. It is only a small nodule at this point - about 1 centimeter.
The doctors have another clinical trial that they recommend we try for Rick. This clinical trial is only available at limited hospitals in the U.S. and fortunately Dana Farber is one of them. There is also a waiting list at some of the places it is available, but we signed on for the last slot at Dana Farber today. We were lucky to get in on this. This clinical trial is with a drug called Cilengitide and has shown promising results with adult GBM tumors. This is the first trial with children.
The general prognosis is still as bad as ever for Rick, (maybe even worse) because every time the tumor comes back, it is smarter and more aggressive. They do think the Cilengitide is worth trying."
And then the kicker�
"Update as of last night: Dana Farber called last night with some disappointing news. It looks like Rick cannot participate in this clinical trial after all because he does not meet the criteria in one area. The doctors missed something in the paperwork and did not realize until after we left the meeting. This particular treatment was Rick's best option. I am not sure where we go from here."
Yes, I do think I made the right decision to register with the PMC despite these difficult times. We all have causes that are dear to our hearts. This one is mine. Whether you can donate $100 or $10, please know every penny you contribute will be used to help people like Rick and Rick's mom in the hopes that no one else will ever have to endure such pain. To borrow a quote from Gordon B. Hinkley, I promise "you will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make."
Thank you for reading.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Ed Vamenta
This being my third year as a "PMC'er" and another commitment to raising over $4,000 for cancer research and treatment, it is clear that this cause means a great deal to me. However, given the amount of enthusiasm and hope I have expressed after the first two PMC rides, you may be surprised to learn that my decision to commit to a third ride was filled with tremendous doubt and anxiety.
We live in uncertain economic times to be sure. So why would I commit to raising $4,200 when everything I read or hear screams of recession, shortages, layoffs, and cutbacks? Why would I authorize the PMC to charge my credit card the amount of my fundraising shortfall especially since last year I was $500 deficient of the $4,000 fundraising minimum? Never mind the fact that I recruited three people (my brother, neighbor and college buddy) to join Team Luca and thus effectively halved my donor base. Sure, I can be proud that my actions indirectly generated nearly $14K more for the war on cancer. But I still failed to achieve my own individual goal.
In the end, I decided that, for me, nothing is worse than complacency and that financial stress, while painful as it can be, pales in comparison to the anguish cancer inflicts on so many lives. Of course, I can only imagine the latter point since (thank God) my immediate relationship with cancer is mercifully known. But that is what makes cancer so evil-that any one of us through birth to seniority can be blindsided with the disease. And so my decision to ride is also borne out of fear-fear that my wife, my children, my family members and even you or those that you love could develop a malignant tumor�at any time.
Some of you may recall that in Team Luca's inaugural PMC ride in 2007, we rode on behalf of Ricky Hoffman, a (now) 11 year old boy with a brain tumor. For the past 1.5 years he has defied the odds of a 5% survival rate. And just when MRI after MRI showed no signs of tumor growth, on Jan 29, 2009, Ricky's mother wrote on her blog (http://www.carepages.com/carepages/RickHoffman/patient) the following:
"As we expected to hear, the tumor is definitely growing back. It is only a small nodule at this point - about 1 centimeter.
The doctors have another clinical trial that they recommend we try for Rick. This clinical trial is only available at limited hospitals in the U.S. and fortunately Dana Farber is one of them. There is also a waiting list at some of the places it is available, but we signed on for the last slot at Dana Farber today. We were lucky to get in on this. This clinical trial is with a drug called Cilengitide and has shown promising results with adult GBM tumors. This is the first trial with children.
The general prognosis is still as bad as ever for Rick, (maybe even worse) because every time the tumor comes back, it is smarter and more aggressive. They do think the Cilengitide is worth trying."
And then the kicker�
"Update as of last night: Dana Farber called last night with some disappointing news. It looks like Rick cannot participate in this clinical trial after all because he does not meet the criteria in one area. The doctors missed something in the paperwork and did not realize until after we left the meeting. This particular treatment was Rick's best option. I am not sure where we go from here."
Yes, I do think I made the right decision to register with the PMC despite these difficult times. We all have causes that are dear to our hearts. This one is mine. Whether you can donate $100 or $10, please know every penny you contribute will be used to help people like Rick and Rick's mom in the hopes that no one else will ever have to endure such pain. To borrow a quote from Gordon B. Hinkley, I promise "you will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make."
Thank you for reading.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Ed Vamenta
Edward's PMC Total
$0
Goal
$4,200
My Progress
My Online Supporters
| I have chosen to keep all of my donors' information confidential; therefore it is not displayed on my PMC public donor list. |
My Rides
| 2009 | $4,250 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2008 | $4,000 | Sturbridge to Provincetown Inn (2-Day) |
| 2007 | $6,300 | Sturbridge to Family Finish at Ptown (2-Day) |
