By Carol Fisher-Linn
Miracles on Elm Street. They happen every day……
We in Western New York are blessed to have Roswell Park Cancer Center available to us on Elm Street in downtown Buffalo. Someone very knowledgeable about the good that Roswell does is Jane Eshbaugh, retired Marketing Director at Holiday Valley (yet still involved part-time!). She is not alone. Jane is only one of many individuals in our community who have had to enter the Roswell Health System and fight the good fight. She is, again with the others, a bell ringer, a survivor of the dreaded “C” word. Jane wanted to share this following letter recounting her personal story and the way she found hope and a desire to fight on.
Here’s part of what she has to say: “I’m still here and some say it’s a miracle. On April 1, 2022, I was told I have stage-four pancreatic cancer. Cancer sucks but pancreatic cancer really sucks. It’s very sneaky but luckily the doctors at Roswell are even sneakier (and smarter). Here it is, three years later and there is no evidence of disease in my scans thanks to chemo and immunotherapy and the watchful eye of Dr. Fountzilas and the GI team. And thanks to my wonderful supportive family, friends and community. You all help me to remember to make the best of today and every day.”
“That’s why I’m riding in my 5th Empire State ride in 2025 to benefit Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the research they conduct. I’m asking you to support my ride. Currently for every dollar donated Roswell receives an extra $23 in external funding for cancer research. Follow this link and learn more about it.” https://Empirestateride.com/fundraising-now-goes-23-times-further
So, to better understand what the Empire State Ride (ESR) is that Jane has participated in even through aggressive treatment after they discovered her cancer, please read. (Jane and the Holiday Valley team had already participated for two years before her diagnosis.) The event is a seven-day, 500+ Mile cycling adventure from New York City to Niagara Falls, July 27 to August 2. Each day’s route will vary with the shortest ride day being 50-60 miles and the longest day at 100 miles. Riders cycle for an average of seven hours each day with rest stops about every 20 miles. See her video to see how this was accomplished with the help of her husband, Dennis, and the team (linked below). However, ESR is more than just a ride. Funds raised through this event are paving the way for the next generation of cancer care. Since ESR began in 2015, it has raised more than $10 million for cancer research and clinical trials at the nation’s first cancer center dedicated to research, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jane continues in her note: “The fact that the ESR raises money for cancer research like immunotherapy means that I have directly benefitted from our fundraising. So, thank you all for helping me stay healthy and loving life. ALL donations are appreciated, no matter the amount. It all adds up to something greater than what any of us can accomplish on our own. Please join me to make a difference.
seven-day, 500+ Mile cycling adventure from New York City to Niagara Falls,
July 27 to August 2. Each day’s route will vary with the shortest ride day being
50-60 miles and the longest day at 100 miles. Riders cycle for an average of
seven hours each day with rest stops about every 20 miles
Read further why continued research is life-saving, particularly for Jane who had advanced pancreatic cancer : “It’s a very difficult cancer,” says Maurie Markman, MD, President of Medicine & Science, City of Hope Cancer Centers Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. “The location of the pancreas, including being surrounded by a number of vital structures, makes pancreatic cancer difficult to both diagnose and treat surgically. Plus, pancreas cancers are, for a variety of reasons, quite resistant to most available systemic anti-cancer agents.” Remember Jane said the disease is very sneaky but in her case the doctors were smarter – and had advanced immunotherapy drugs at their disposal. She was fortunate and in the right place at the right time. Her brand of cancer is rarely found until it reaches stage 4. Most have no known traditional treatment. Surgery is often impossible. The tumors hide where chemo drugs can’t penetrate. But, as she said, her docs were smarter and they had life-saving drugs 50 miles from home instead of across the country. So, if you are still wondering if you should support her Empire State Ride, hopefully this new knowledge will help you decide yes. After all, who’s to say who might be next to have to use the genius at Roswell to help them also ring the bell saying they won the battle – you can help them by supporting Jane and her team and ESR. Jane also reminds us that she rides in another ride, Ride for Roswell, a one-day, 100-mile ride on June 28th. Although she puts most of her fundraising efforts into fundraising for the Empire State Ride, she welcomes donations for either event, since they all go into the same pot for groundbreaking cancer research. www.rideforroswell.org
Read about Jane’s cancer journey here: https://empirestateride.com/adventure-cyclist-fights-pancreatic-cancer/