Dear Friends and Family,

This summer I will be participating in my 3^rd PMC.   After being away from the event for two years, I am returning with even more determination than ever to help conquer cancer.   Last year, Sam’s nephew Josh suffered a recurrence of testicular cancer.   After months in remission, the cancer had not only returned, it had spread to his lungs.   Josh endured two major surgeries and punishing chemotherapy treatments.  Today, he is once again in remission.  While the entire family is incredibly relieved and thankful, I don’t think anyone could be happier than his wife, Steph, and their two adorable little daughters. 

2009 is the 30^th year for PMC. In that time, the PMC has raised more than $239 million to help fight cancer. Each person has their own personal reasons motivating them to accept this challenge.  In addition to Josh’s battle with cancer, Sam and I have our own firsthand experience with Dana-Farber.

This is our story. In February 1996 I was diagnosed with a gestational trophoblastic tumor. (A what? Yeah, that's pretty much what we said too). Gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT) is a rare cancer that occurs only in women during pregnancy. For reasons yet to be completely known or understood, malignant cells begin to grow in the uterus following conception. In the span of a few short weeks, Sam and I went from the excitement of pregnancy to the devastation of miscarriage and my diagnosis of cancer. The next couple years were a blur of doctor's appointments, hospital stays, chemotherapy, and blood tests. As dark as those days felt, we eventually began to realize that we were the lucky ones.  My disease was curable. I was under the care of Dr. Ross Berkowitz, the director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center.  Dr. Berkowitz is one of the world's foremost experts on trophoblastic tumors. Thanks to the research conducted by Dr. Berkowitz and his colleagues, trophoblastic tumors have an almost 100% cure rate. Today I am cancer free with a zero percent chance of relapse. Unfortunately, this is not the case for far too many cancer patients.

Please consider making a donation to support cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber. No amount is too small and every contribution is greatly appreciated. Click on the "Donate to My Ride" link to make a credit card donation. Or, make a check payable to PMC and mail it to Sharon Hewitt, 4 New Mill Place, Ipswich, MA 01938.

With love, thanks and wishes for good health,
Sharon and Sam