I'm fundraising again this year for the Oral Cancer Foundation primarily because I was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in 2016. This experience changed my life, just like it has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people in the US every year. Getting a cancer diagnosis is never easy, and making it through the treatment process is a real struggle, both mentally and physically. I'm lucky that I had a full recovery, but I know that for many patients who do survive, the treatments are so harsh they leave them suffering for many years after treatment ends. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are still the standard treatments for oral cancer. What are needed are better, more targeted treatments. The Oral Cancer Foundation supports research that is aimed at coming up with better treatment options, and I am happy to fundraise for them for that reason.

My cancer journey led me to create my own website, HPVCancerResources.org, to help my fellow patients along on their cancer journey.  Take advantage of the extensive resources that I've provided there for patients and caregivers. The website explains how HPV is a virus that causes six different types of cancer, including throat and cervical cancers. The help of family and friends are vital to making it through a serious cancer diagnosis. 

Thanks to all of you who are willing to contribute to this worthy cause!