Michael's Fundraising Page

Two days after spectating the 2024 Boston Marathon I was diagnosed with stage 3 Melanoma at the age of 26. While working a shift as a nurse in the Emergency Department I received a call with the diagnosis and was so shell shocked I couldn't bring myself to leave so I kept working for the 10 hours remaining in my shift. Two weeks after this phone call I was extremely lucky to have had a successful surgery with the amazing oncology team at BMC, but a few weeks after my operation I learned that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes that were removed during the procedure. At this point I found it challenging to anticipate anything besides bad news going into every test, but I had my first stroke of luck when my post-op PET scan came back negative for any further metastasis. Although I can confidently say I held onto an incredibly positive attitude throughout this process this was the first instance I had felt relieved in months. This was great news, unfortunately because of the high likelihood for the Melanoma to return I was referred to a medical oncologist and was given the opportunity to work with the amazing healthcare team at Dana Farber. I began my year of treatment at the end of July and have since been cleared on 3 separate PET scans and my brain MRI, and thanks to the philanthropy of generous donors at Dana I have been able to afford the extensive cost of my treatment and frequent screening which has given me the ability to focus on my health and well-being without the added stress of a heavy financial burden. I have also found myself in awe at the advances in cancer research that take place in this facility which have not only made it possible for me to report such a positive outcome, but also receive groundbreaking gene targeted therapy which minimizes the negative side effects of traditional chemotherapy so that I can remain healthy enough to train for a marathon in the middle of my treatment. I am so proud to have been selected by such an amazing team to run my first ever marathon, and it means so much more to be able to participate in an event as meaningful as the Boston Marathon.