Pedal the Cause

On July 12th of this year, somewhere between 4:00am – 4:30am, my father died from pancreatic cancer.  I was not devastated from the loss, as I had seven months to prepare for what was coming. My father was 91 years old, and happily married to the love of his life for almost 71 years. When he was diagnosed on December 14th, 2023, the day of my mother’s 90th birthday, he was given 3-6 months to live.   At first, we hoped and prayed the doctors had it wrong, or that he would, perhaps, be the exception and survive for years to come. That was not to be the case….  

At my father’s age, he did not want to pursue any form of aggressive cancer treatment. He always had a positive attitude and believed he would somehow beat the disease.  He was courageous, kept his sense of humor (almost to the end), and cared more about the impact of his illness on my mother, and others, rather than himself.

Unfortunately, as many people know, the journey through a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. The team at Siteman and BJC were truly amazing. They are all professionals with the skills, care, and compassion to guide you through a very difficult time. The doctors and researchers are world class and continue to make progress with the diagnosis, prevention and cure for all cancers.

In the last few months we lost my father, and life-long friend, Cheri Fox, to cancer. My mother-in-law, Sanny, continues her battle cancer, along with my wife’s cousins’ , Tammy and Tracy.

In honor of my father, and the others, please contribute to my  Pedal The Cause Ride!  Your support truly makes a difference…

XOMichael