Ana Lockwood was inspired to ride the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge after watching her young nephew's difficult battle with cancer. Lockwood is a first-year rider from Lunenburg, Mass. Here is Ana's story.
Our Superhero
Almost three years ago, my five-year-old nephew Ethan was diagnosed with a rare and acute form of Leukemia. Over the next year, Ethan stayed at Children's Hospital in Boston for five consecutive months receiving many rounds of chemo and radiation. He battled pneumonia, and survived a stroke. Finally, he received a bone marrow transplant donated by his little brother Eliot. And after that, he lived in seclusion at his house for six months. He was brave and resilient through these demanding treatments, and that's why we call him our SUPERHERO. It was a difficult year for our families. It was hard to explain to my children, Joey and Cassia, the possibility of losing Ethan. But nothing was as hard as the battle Ethan fought at the hospital, though, he didn't fight alone. He had armies of nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital fighting with him. He also had allies at the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And with their unmatched dedication and knowledge, they helped Ethan win his battle against cancer. Ethan is now cancer-free. On August 7 and 8, I will join more than 5,000 other cyclists in the 31st Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a bike-a-thon that raises money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Every dollar I raise will go to the Jimmy Fund / Dana Farber Cancer Institute…Every dollar. I will ride the PMC because too many young children have lost a parent to this disease, and because too many parents have watched their child vanish because of cancer. I ride because I believe finding a cure is possible. I ride in honor of our Team's SUPERHEROS Ethan and Charlie. I also ride in Honor of Maggie and Lillie. I ride in Memory of Laura. I invite you to join me in this effort. Your donation will help ensure that the march toward defeating cancer continues. [vodpod id=ExternalVideo.943155&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]
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