Matching Campaign
Susan Whitehead
is matching up to $500
Susan Whitehead
is matching up to $500
I am trekking to Everest Base Camp to raise $50,000 for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. I have raised over $25K to date and am looking for help to get to my fundraising summit.
The Why: In 2017, I discovered a lump in my breast. Despite initially being dismissed with a “This is probably nothing,” I insisted on further testing. The phone call I received shortly after still echoes in my mind: "Susan, you have Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), stage 0 breast cancer. The good news is no one dies from DCIS." What a relief, I thought. But that relief was short-lived as I learned the treatment options—mastectomy or lumpectomy plus radiation, followed by years of endocrine therapy—were just as intense as for invasive cancer.
I wasn’t ready to accept this without exploring other possibilities. I found a clinical trial investigating immunotherapy and enrolled. This trial offered a chance to contribute to research that could lead to better options with minimal side effects for future patients.
Since then, I’ve faced a breast cancer recurrence (stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma) and an unrelated diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer. I feel incredibly lucky to be here today, and it’s because of innovative treatments and research that I’ve had these chances.
This experience, has only strengthened my resolve to advocate for better therapies. It has also made me a more compassionate and effective caregiver & advocate for my father, who is currently fighting small cell lung cancer.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation identifies and supports young, bold scientists who are thinking outside the box—people whose groundbreaking ideas might otherwise go unfunded. Their work has led to incredible breakthroughs, from proving the link between smoking and cancer to curing a patient with stage IV melanoma using immunotherapy. To date, thirteen of these scientists have earned the Nobel Prize.
All funds donated go to the foundation to support cancer research.
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