Neil Cameron's Ride

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Why I Ride ...

Unfortunately, as I write this year’s letter, another family member has been diagnosed with cancer.  My 2nd Mom, of 25 years, Grammy Pam, has recently been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of kidney cancer.  It is called transitional cell carcinoma.  Pam is only 49 years old and we are all stunned with this life changing news.  She has had her kidney removed and is recovering as I write this letter.  She has an amazing team of doctors that are very committed to her health, and they are all working together to make sure she gets the best course of treatment.  For those of you that don’t know Pam, she has a very infectious personality and has already made her case a top priority in the lives of her medical team.  For those of you that know her, you realize the medical team is in for a unique experience of their own!  We are trying to process every bit of news with a positive spin and keep our sense of humor, but at the same time our hearts ache with the knowledge of the tough times ahead.   So many of us are aware of the physical and emotional toll this disease takes on the patient and their immediate loved ones. 
  

In September of 2006 I was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma known as a GIST (Gastro Intestinal Stromal Tumor).  The only cure for this cancer was surgery to remove the tumor.  Having had four surgeries over the last three years as a result of this tumor I still believe myself very fortunate.  I have the best doctors and a loving family to support me every step of the way.  I am scanned several times a year to check for a reoccurrence at Dana-Farber.  To date I have received only good news and hope that this continues.  Dana Farber continues to be a big part of my life and so many others as they continue their research and daily treatment of people affected by cancer.  I am back in good health and in September of this year it will be four years with no evidence of cancer.  I have the support of great family and friends and continue to watch my children thrive and grow. 

 

 In January of 2009 I lost my older brother to brain cancer.  He was only 40 years old.  Also, at the age of 13 I lost my 1st mother at the age of 34 to stomach and pancreatic cancer.  This disease has touched so many people in all of our lives so I am committed to continue the push to help in finding a cure.  As a cancer survivor it is very important to continue to strive towards a cure. 
 
For the second year I have my younger brother James riding with me.  I guess that makes it an official family tradition now!   We ride as a family that has been touched in many different ways by cancer. 
  
This year I am planning to complete the Pan Mass Challenge for the third time.  I have participated in the Pan Mass Challenge for the last four years and many of you have helped me to raise over $27,000 for cancer research.  In addition to the money that was raised individually, I am part of a team, Paul’s Posse , which has raised over one million dollars toward cancer research.  I am very fortunate to be part of such a great team.  You are part of that team This group of riders includes other cancer survivors as well as some of the premier doctors in the cancer research field.  100% of the proceeds go directly towards cancer research.  I want to express my sincere thanks to those of you that made it possible to exceed my fundraising goals every year since I started this journey.

 

For those of you who may be seeing my letter for the first time, the Pan-Mass Challenge is a two-day, 192-mile cycling event that raises money in support of the Jimmy Fund.  The Jimmy Fund supports cancer research and patient care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute located in Boston. 

 

I need your help once again in raising the money towards finding a cure. I know this last year has been a difficult one for everyone financially but that is what makes this appeal so much more important.  Funding is being cut from many of these life saving cancer research programs.  I recently appeared on NECN cable news with my doctor, Dr. Demetri.  In this interview he talks about the significance of this fundraising for his research.  Here is the link if you would like to see what Dr. Demetri had to say.

“We simply could never accomplish all that we do in our research without the "grass roots” support of Paul’s Posse, the PMC, and the generosity of all the individual donors who have made this possible.”

George D. Demetri, MD

 http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/12/10/How-the-Pan-Mass-Challenge/1260493556.html 

Places like Dana-Farber rely more and more on these donations to sustain this critical cancer research. I will be riding the full 192 miles, from Sturbridge to Provincetown, on August 7th and 8th.   My family will also be there to cheer me on. I hope you will support me in this tremendous fight against cancer by making a donation.  Just visit the following link to make your donation and please know that I am forever grateful for your generosity.

 http://www.pmc.org/egifts/giftinfo.asp?EgiftID=NC0055  

To visit my personal page please follow this link:

 http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=NC0055 

Once again, thank you for your generous support.

Sincerely,

Neil Cameron   



Neil's PMC Total

$5,260

Goal

$5,000

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

2010 $5,260 Sturbridge to Family Finish at Ptown (2-Day)
2009 $7,526 Sturbridge to Family Finish at Ptown (2-Day)
2008 $7,792 Sturbridge to Family Finish at Ptown (2-Day)
2007 $12,004 Sturbridge to Family Finish at Ptown (2-Day)
Neil's Personal Gallery