Fund Raising for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Dear Friends and Family,

Please read the letter below re: our upcoming trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro...

On August 28, 2003, Andrea, a 19 year-old freshman at the University of
Nebraska, came to the National Cancer Institute. She was a slim, pretty woman,
with shoulder length brown hair and an unassuming smile. We met at her hospital
bed where she was lying down. I only realized later that she stood over 6ft tall
when she had to lean over to give me a hug. Andrea had melanoma, skin cancer;
and it had already spread throughout her body including to her brain and
internal organs. She had multiple large tumor nodules just below the skin. One
was behind her right knee. She would be one of the first patients whose surgery
I was involved in at the NIH.

We removed the tumor nodule from behind her knee in the operating room and
immediately took that tissue down the hall to the laboratory. There, a full time
team of researchers removed the white blood cells from the tumor and over the
course of weeks, grew out only those immune fighting cells that recognized the
cancer. While her immune cells were growing in the lab, her cancer was growing
inside of her too. She had to drop out of college and took the semester off
from her studies geared to become an elementary school teacher. She returned to
the NIH weeks later to receive an infusion of the immune cells that had been
chosen to fight her cancer. They were injected back into her veins to search
out the cancer wherever it was inside of her body. Part of her treatment
protocol involved high dose chemotherapy, so her brown hair fell out in patches,
and it also included some toxic medicines, so she had high fevers and felt
nauseated, but she never lost her smile. Her experimental treatment continued,
and she returned to the NIH every few months for the next year. Her father
always greeted me with a firm handshake and she always with a hug and a big
smile. She wore a wig since she was bald then.

Andrea's life was put on hold, and it was almost taken from her. The physical,
mental, and spiritual challenges she faced are greater than any I can imagine.
Something about her plight put things into perspective for me, and I still carry
around an "Omaha" keychain she gave me on one visit as a reminder. It reminds
me to face challenges as they come, and to be involved in the research that is
attempting to understand the many faces of cancer. Her tumors shrank. In fact,
they disappeared.

One of my interests is high altitude trekking and nature photography. I have
been training for one of my goals to summit and photograph the highest peak in
Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Though not a highly technical climb, it is considered
one of the most dangerous peaks to summit due to the speed at which altitude is
gained and the steep rocky summit ascent to the glaciers that cap the mountain
at over 19, 300ft. Only about 40-50% of those that attempt the summit make it,
and a few people die in the attempt every year - unfortunately last week a local
Bostonian was killed on the mountain by a rockslide. On Sunday, January 29th I
will leave for Africa and then start the trek up the largest freestanding
mountain in the world. We will start in the dusty plains of Tanzania, and then
enter the jungle and rainforest before passing through the moorlands on the way
up to the icy peak.

I am excited about the prospect of trying to trek this mountain in a different
country that is new to me, and I will be embracing the courage of patients like
Andrea that have shown me not to take anything for granted.

I would like to ask you to make a donation on my behalf to the Dana Farber
Cancer Institute. The Dana Farber Cancer Institute is Harvard's and Brigham and
Women's center for cancer research and treatment. It is exceptionally unique as
a fundraising organization in that 88% of the money raised goes directly to
cancer research (12% to advertising, overhead and salaries), compared to the
standard 50% of most charities. All donations are tax deductible and you will
receive a receipt if an address is provided. You can make checks payable to
"Dana Farber Cancer Institute" and mail them to my home address or give them to me in person:

Ajay Maker
Boston, MA

I would be delighted to share as much information as possible about the Dana
Farber Cancer Institute/Jimmy Fund, and our trek with anyone interested, and I
thank you in advance for your support.


Sincerely,
Ajay Maker

Click here to learn more about the Jimmy Fund, or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.