Dan got involved with Love Hope Strength in 2007 when James Chippendale invited him to join the Everest Rocks crew. The 2009 Pike Peak Rocks climb was a great experience and Dan’s looking forward to another great weekend this year.
In January 2007 Dan was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). ACC is a very rare type of cancer that, in Dan’s case, looked to be relatively non-aggressive. While the outlook was good, the reality of enduring 7 weeks of daily radiation therapy proved to be emotionally and physically challenging. The Everest Rocks trip was an amazing end to a year that started off with a cancer diagnosis and a lot of unknowns as to where things were going.
On April 5 of this year, after a yearly PETscan, Dan was again diagnosed with cancer in his right lung. All indications are that it is ACC again. Dan will undergo lung surgery on June 2 and then begin to get back in shape for Pikes Peak Rocks 2010. Dan’s doctors feel that they should be able to get all of the tumors out of his right lung and the outlook is very positive. The plan for treatment after surgery is to take part in a clinical trial at The Mary Crowley Research Center in Dallas TX.
It goes without saying that the fight for a cure to cancer is very important to Dan. The Love Hope Strength Foundation is his way to help in that fight, not only for him, but every cancer patient around the world. Dan appreciates your support for him and LHS!