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In our lifetime, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer.
READ THAT AGAIN.
All of us have been touched by cancer. When we swim together today, we do so in the hope that the money raised will help find the cure for cancer. Today I swim especially for three people - my parents, Pat and Jim Halligan and my friend, Cassie Firenze.
In the summer of 2019, my father wasn’t feeling quite himself and reluctantly agreed to go to see the doctor. WIth a diagnosis of ampullary carcinoma, the Whipple Surgery was performed. Months of grueling chemotherapy followed and just as that was winding down, COVID-19 began racing around the world. With his typical humor, my father embraced the shelter in place order “I’ve been self-isolating for 8 months now, what’s a few more?” However, in 2022, in the afternoon following the Swim in the Sound, we came together as a family to face the reality that the treatments were no longer working and hospice care was necessary. He will be remembered as a husband, father, brother, uncle, friend and teacher who loved history, bird watching, Irish music, traveling and telling a good story.
This year, my mother celebrated thirteen years since receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer. Not much slowed her down, not even a broken leg in the waves of the Jersey Shore a few years ago. She was my father's chief caregiver throughout his illness and is adjusting to the quiet in our lives. She has faced it all with determination and grace, while traveling on new adventures, and finding time to enjoy the company of her supportive friends and family.
Also in the summer of 2019, my friend Cassie Firenze was battling breast cancer. To say “Cassie is one of the funniest people I will ever know” is an understatement of epic proportions. We all should be so lucky to know someone like her. Cassie had a way of finding humor in any and all situations and taught us all the importance of laughing at oneself. She lived life to the fullest and made sure that everyone around her joined in. Daughter of Jill, wife of Angelo, mother of Nico and friend to so many, we miss her fiercely. #shadesonstaystrong.
This summer, I am again challenging myself by swimming in the Long Island Sound Open Water Swim. Please support me by sponsoring my swim and making a gift. The money you give will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment and will make an impact in the fight to find a cure. Established in 1992, SAA - Long Island Sound has raised millions of dollars for our beneficiaries: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, Cancer Support Team and Weill Cornell Medicine.
Thank you for your generosity and may it lead to a cancer-free world!