Hi everyone! My name is Rachael Carter Silva and I am hoping to raise money to donate to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dana Farber has such a bittersweet place in my heart, as it was my home-away-from-home for the better part of four years. In 2013 when my mom, Sherri Buckheit, was just 48, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After a year of treatment through Dana Farber, she quickly made her way into remission. We then went on to live the next four years with extreme gratitude and excitement for life. Unfortunately, in 2018, that dreaded moment returned and we had been given the news that the cancer was back. Life for us changed dramatically. We were going to and from Boston three (sometimes more) times a week for scans, biopsies, infusions, and labs - all with an overarching anxiety in our stomachs that we might receive bad news. Throughout the next four years, my mother's time in the hospital increased. There were months where she was admitted at Brigham and Women's for weeks at a time. During her stays, my mom would talk to her nurses about their lives - asking if they had children, husbands, wives, dogs and plans for the weekend (she was a definitely a nosey one). The piece of mind I felt every time I had to leave after visiting hours knowing my mom was under the care of Dr. Caron Jacobson and her brilliant PA, Dr. Sharon Kurtz is something I will be forever grateful for. I can say with full confidence that those women, along with the incredible Dara Farber staff are directly responsible for giving me more time with my mother. Raising funds for continued research in the field of Lymphoma is something I feel incredibly passionate about. My mom's life was dependent on the latest medicine, trials and care. I thank you for your donation to this cause and hopefully it can help give other families more time with their loved ones.
