Dana Farber Jimmy Fund Walk 2020
The following post was written by Trish, a patient advocate at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who participated in the Dana Farmer Jimmy Fund Walk. The IBC Network Foundation did a $3000 match donation.
The song ‘To Sir With Love’ asks ‘how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?’ Well, how do you thank someone who has been at the ready to offer leading edge treatment for a rare, aggressive cancer and give you hope? In my case, one way is to be part of Team IBC for the annual Dana Farber Jimmy Fund Walk. Together, patients, family, friends and DF’s IBC clinic team walk to raise funds to be directed to more research; and more hope. As we walk together, it is a visible reminder to that team that there are many of us who are here, and healthy, thanks to their dedication.
While this year we could not physically walk together, we all walked together in spirit, complete with Zoom check-ins from wherever we were, because, well, 2020. What did not change was that funds raised would be put to great use and that it is a way to give back. As patient advocate for the program, I am so amazed when I think of all of the research being done, while providing top-notch patient care. While I may not understand much (okay, almost all) of the science of what they do, I do understand how much they care about their patients as people, and it touches my heart.
That all being said, the walk is fun. In the usual years, when you are walking many miles with people, it is such a great opportunity to connect and get to know them in a way you never normally would. It has also been a great way to educate people along the way, who don’t know what IBC is. Even on my solo walk this year, I wore my number and chatted to a couple and did my public service announcement cautionary tale, in the hope that it may help that person, or someone in that person’s life if they encounter the symptoms. It always comes back to hope.