This morning I sent a package full of goodies to Elliot, the boy fighting cancer for whom I rode for in the Great Cycle Challenge.
The Woody toys were purchased at Disney World by two people I have never met, Shannon Larkin and Dori Bothe. They had heard about Elliot's plight from an acquaintance of mine and wanted to do something to brighten Elliot's day. There are many good, kindhearted people in this world!
The following quote is from a mother who lost her daughter, Azaelea, to childhood cancer. Her comment tells why finding treatments specifically for childhood cancers are so important.
"Kids get cancer too. But their bodies need treatments that are different from what works for adults. My daughter had leukemia that made her very ill, but the effects of chemotherapy is what ultimately KILLED her.
We had no other choice. We had to accept the medically approved treatment plan or face consequences from CPS. Ultimately, that kind of treatment was our only hope at the time, as well. No family should have to face that kind of reality."
One responsibility of a Great Cycle Challenge Champion is to spread the word about why pediatric cancer research funding is so important. As a GCC Champion, I reached out to a couple of local newspapers. I was fortunate to have reporters respond to my outreach. Two different papers wrote a story about my riding, the cause, and Elliot's fight with cancer. The Newville Valley Times Star is the paper in Elliot's home town. The Main Line Times and Suburban is my local newspaper. I wonder how many saw the articles. If you did, I would love to know. My email address is MrMcPez@gmail.com.
Elliot's latest round of chemotherapy has been hard on him. He has developed sores in mouth, doesn't want to eat or drink and is in pain. However, he still wanted to get dressed up as his favorite Toy Story character - Woody. His neighbor dressed as Jessie. She knew how much Elliot likes Woody and she wanted to do something special for him. Though he didn't have the strength to trick-or-treat, it was still a very exciting day for him.
For many children with cancer, their treatments are a "crap shoot." Why, because the treatments they are given are with drugs created for adults, not specifically for a child's body. As a result, more than 90% will have health issues later in life. And at worst, they won't survive their treatment. When you play craps, a 7 or 11 on your first role is a winner. That got me thinking about those numbers. This is my 11th year riding in the GCC. So, I have one of the winning numbers. What would represent the 7? Well, I am currently the 8th highest fundraiser this year. With a week left in the fundraising period, I am now aiming to get to 7th. I am close. If you click on the individual leaderboard menu option, you can see the standings. Your donation will support the pediatric cancer research to one day help all kids become winners,
To honor those that donate to the Great Cycle Challenge, I am having a custom jersey made with the names of my 2025 supporters. You had my back, and now I will be wearing your name on mine. There is still time to have your name added. A donation of ANY amount will put your name on the jersey. I did this a few years ago. This is a picture of that jersey. You can see that I have been wearing the jersey as ride with Woody this year. Let's see how far we can EXCEED my fundraising goal.
Elliot needed to go back to the hospital to have his G-tube (gastrostomy tube) replaced. A G-tube is used in cancer treatment primarily to provide nutrition and hydration when a patient cannot eat or drink enough due to side effects like pain, nausea, or difficulty swallowing. Using a G-tube helps patients maintain strength, better tolerate treatment, and recover more quickly, as malnutrition can negatively impact the treatment's effectiveness and a patient's recovery. Elliot is one tough cookie. He never complains, regardless of what he has to endure in his fight with cancer.
How do I connect with a four-year old that I am riding for when he is in the hospital more than one hundred miles away? I do it by finding out his favorite movie or cartoon character. I then buy two dolls of that character. I send one to the child, and keep one for myself. In Elliot's case, that character is Woody from Toy Story. I will carry my "Woody" on each of my rides. It is my way of having Elliot with me on every mile I pedal. Woody and I have now biked together for more than 500 miles. This includes rides in on gravel roads in Vermont (see picture).
