#WhyIPMC guest blog by Caitlin Hathaway, 1st-year Living Proof, Team FORZA-G rider
In 2021 I was diagnosed with stage 3b metastatic melanoma, a recurrence from a 2018 stage 1 removal.
I have been a patient at Dana-Farber since my 2021 diagnosis; at every appointment I walk down the halls lined with portraits of all the Living Proof riders before me. Since my first appointment, I have been inspired to be a part of the efforts that raise so much money for cancer research that saves lives, including my own. I ride because it is my way of giving back to the team of doctors and researchers who have worked so hard (and still are) to save my life.
There have been so many breakthroughs in melanoma research because of funding from efforts like the PMC. Fundraising and riding is something I can do to bring it full circle.
I also ride because I feel grateful to have access to these treatments - and I hope that my efforts in fundraising will help another person who is faced with a cancer diagnosis, and for them to get treatment to extend their life.
This year I'm riding my first PMC - and am excited to join the Forza-G team, with fellow Kennebunk alum, Abraham Landau, who is also a DFCI patient, and alongside my brother, Ephraim Hathaway.
