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In Honor of Their Mother - A PMC Kids Rides Story

Published Date:   May 09, 2013

Topic:   PMC News

This past Sunday, a week before Mother’s Day, North Grafton, Mass. residents Aedan, 10, and Jake, 7, rode for the first time in the PMC Shrewsbury-Grafton Kids Ride. They rode as part of Team Malini, a group of 20 young cyclists who pedal together in honor of Aedan and Jake’s mother, Malini Mayerhauser. 

Malini is currently battling her second diagnosis with anaplastic astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. She is part of a clinical trial at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute involving a combination of oral chemotherapy treatments and Saha, a research drug that is being tested to treat various types of cancer.  

Team Malini was formed by the family’s neighbor and dear friend, Nancy Paulauskas, who saw the PMC Shrewsbury-Grafton Kids Ride as an opportunity to do something to support Malini and let her know that she is not in this fight alone. Nancy’s daughters, Taylor, 11, and Tori, 9, are PMC Kids Rides veterans who will also ride and raise money as part of the team. Taylor and Tori grew up with Aedan and Jake and remain close family friends.  

This Mother’s Day, Mayerhauser plans to spend the afternoon with her family creating another memory with the people who inspire her to continue fighting cancer the most. Having a father who succumbed to cancer,a mother who survived cancer, and two supportive young children, she is more determined than ever to win her second battle with anaplastic astrocytoma.    

“Every time I hear about my boys participating in the PMC Shrewsbury-Grafton Kids Ride and Team Malini, I smile from ear to ear,” said Mayerhauser. “To have the support of my friends, family and community means the world to me. Even when I am sitting by myself during treatments, I know that I am not alone. Their strength has given me the power to stay positive and keep fighting. I am here because of them. I am here to be a friend, a wife, a sister, a daughter and, first and foremost, a mother.”  

The PMC Shrewsbury Grafton Kids ride is one of 38 PMC Kids Rides to take place this spring, summer and fall throughout New England and beyond. In 2012, the PMC Kids Rides program attracted nearly 4,500 cyclists between the ages of 2 and 15, who rode between one and 26 miles in mini-bike-a-thons to raise money for cancer care and research. Collectively, the PMC Kids Rides 2013 have set the goal of raining nearly $900,000. 

Interested in starting a PMC Kids Ride in your area? Email Sarah Mercurio Hall, director of PMC Kids Rides and PMC volunteer coordinator.

Post courtesy of Teak Media + Communication

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