Rides and Activities
Rides and activities are seen as cancer/disease treatment in following hospitals.
- Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston MA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Blood and Organ Donation
Survivor Stories
“So Mandy doing the ride and me being involved, there’s going to be people who are in our shoes who say ‘Hey look, that was me, I’m there now, I can do the bike ride in five years. I’ll be healthy, I’ll be happy.’ All I have to do is stay positive and get through this terrible moment and realize when you come through the other side it’s unbelievable and every day is unbelievable,” said cancer survivor Michael. Fine to his girlfriend Mandy Maxwell.
“Biking didn’t only make me stronger, but in a lot of ways, it added a sense of purpose to my days. Being out on those beautiful country roads, surrounded by nature, was like therapy. And I knew it was making me stronger, even when I felt so weak and tired.” said Sommerfield who is in the stage four of vaginal cancer
Trekking through cancer awareness, the Western New York Wellness organization hosts a weekly Night Ride with survivors and those currently in treatment.
Tony DiGaetano of Henrietta is a multiple myeloma survivor. He said "the physical activity and exercise helps. And I’m still in treatment I can’t seem to get remission and I go once a week.” “I rode down the street a little bit and tears were coming out my eyes. It was so joyful, just getting back on the bike, but it was difficult, it really was,” he added.
Another survivor, Carrie Raiby, is 13 years past a fight with breast cancer says “I hadn’t cycled since I was in college,” she said and also explains why the group has been a significant part in her life. “You can really rely upon people here and kind of get your story out without feeling like you’re taking your family down with you.”
7 Steps Every Cancer Patient Should Take
- Lean on friends that can see this through.
- Seek as much knowledge as possible.
- Treat your doctor and care givers as your best allies.
- If the situation is grave, get a second and third opinion.
- Embrace your treatment plan. This is how you will get well.
- Be prepared to change.
- Fill your body with good food and your mind with positive thoughts.
Key Terminology
- benign
- not cancerous
- biopsy
- a small sample of tissue
- cancer
- a disease where cells grow abnormally
- carcinogenesis
- the process of normal cells becoming malignant cells
- cure
- the disappearance of a disease
- malignant
- cancerous cells
- metastasis
- spread of cancer cells from primary area to a distant site
- oncology
- study of cancer