Cancer sucks.

Haymakers is a way for us to fight back. I’m fighting for three of my grandparents who were taken due to cancer and my grandmother who is a survivor. I'm also fighting for myself because my chances of developing colon cancer significantly increased when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis five years ago. And lastly, I’m fighting to increase awareness for bone marrow donations.

Four-and-a-half years ago, I did a cheek swab in hopes of matching with someone fighting cancer. When I found out I was a match, I was put on a handful of different drugs and treatments for several weeks. This allowed my body to produce more white blood cells. Soon after, I underwent a 6-hour transfusion at Dana Farber. During this timeframe, a man named Michael, a father and husband, from Atlanta, Georgia, was dying from leukemia. None of his family members were a match and by luck, I was. After my procedure, he was able to take my healthy white blood cells, and after about a year, he was healthy. He got to live his life. Most importantly this meant seeing his sons grow up, which included being there for his son's wedding.

Last year, I had the privilege to meet Michael and his amazing, supportive family. I can only imagine what a difficult and heart-wrenching experience this was for Michael and his family to go through. While it was a fairly simple thing for me to undergo, I'm so thankful I could help and make difference.

That is why I am participating in Haymakers for Hope. I want to sacrifice my own blood, sweat and tears while pushing myself harder than I have ever done before in the hopes of raising money and awareness to end the fight against cancer. Please help us knock it out!
-Pat