Every 15 minutes, 50 Americans are diagnosed with cancer. Even during a pandemic, people continue to hear the terrible words ‘you have cancer’. 

I have joined the Swim Across America-Nantucket family so that I can continue to give cancer patients hope by raising funds to support on-island cancer treatment and patient care. As you know, cancer treatment can be months and years of appointments, big hospitals, long hallways and scary choices. Now imagine being 30 miles out to sea where accessing Mass General Brigham and Dana Farber means more than your average Boston traffic; travel can be limited by wind, fog, ice and time of day.

Proceeds directly support Nantucket Cottage Hospital's oncology program which brings world-class oncology services to Nantucket, allowing patients to access much of their cancer care close to home, without the cost and stressful burden of off-island travel.  Many of these cancer services are performed in the new state of the art Swim Across America Infusion Center.   Similarly, SAA - Nantucket funding supports Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket (PASCON), where I work, and allows us to provide direct palliative and supportive care for patients and their families who are coping with cancer, free of charge.

This year SAA-Nantucket has also chosen to support ongoing cancer research at Mass General. The research being conducted has already benefited many local residents, as well as the national cancer community. 

If you are able, please support me by making a donation to my personal fundraising page. Every bit helps and will make a huge impact on those fighting cancer on Nantucket.