Boot Walk
MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas is the nations #1 cancer center. The MDACC Boot Walk is an annual event to raise awareness for cancer and fundraise to support patient programs, research, prevention and education at MD Anderson. 100% of funds raised directly support MD Anderson's mission to end cancer ("to make cancer history").
Boot Walk is unique in that it allows formation of fundraising subteams that can direct funds raised by that team's participants to specific programs within the institution.
Stomp Out Stage IV Breast Cancer is one of those teams that started from the beginning of Boot Walk's history, 8 years ago. Their focus is to raise awareness of late stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) and direct all funds to the Advanced Breast Cancer Clinic & Program at MD Anderson. Team members are themselves Metastatic Breast Cancer survivors, thrivers, caregivers, supporters, physicians, nurses, or MDACC staff.
“Our team continues to push for better outcomes for patients with advanced breast cancer. We want more services, better clinical treatment options and assistance in overall care coordination. We have used our strong, earnest voices to help create a program that is growing and enhancing the care of patients. Advanced breast cancer is not curable; consequently, advanced breast cancer patients are burdened every day with trying to find a balance between a good quality of life while maximizing their overall survival. This is a monumental challenge. The world and biology of cancer is scary and complex. The ABC Program tries to bridge the gap between fear and hope.”
The Advanced Breast Cancer Clinic is a groundbreaking program started by a grassroots effort from a group of passionate Metastatic Breast Cancer advocates (patients, caregivers, supporters) more than 8 years ago. As noted above, goals were to improve outcomes for those with MBC or "Advanced Breast Cancer", including treatment navigation, education, and quality of life. Today, some notable services of the ABC Clinic include treatment & care navigation, support groups, webinars, partnership to provide internal medicine, ABC patient data registry to improve MBC clinical trials and research, and emerging research studies. 1,000s of MBC patients and caregivers have benefited from these services, even including some who are not patients at MDACC.
My late wife Janice was part of that early grassroots group, and both she and I have been supporting the organization personally since inception. Janice had been a patient at MD Anderson for more than 10 years, and we know the system well.
Quality of life for Metastatic Breast Cancer patients is core to the ABC Clinic. As MBC Quality of Life is central to our mission, Unicorn Cancer Thrivers Foundation has been a major supporter of this organization since second half of 2022. I am also part of the ABC Clinic steering committee.
Impact
As fundraising closed on November 30th, Boot Walk raised a staggering $1.4M overall. Stomp Out Stage IV was the #1 team, raising $252,316 (18%)! Unicorn was humbled to play a small part by sponsoring $10,000 in donation matching challenges over two days - Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) Day and Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. Naturally, the team blew that away 2X, so we put in the $10k, resulting in more than $31k raised over the two days!
$1.4M - overall raised by Boot Walk event
$252,316 - raised by Stomp Out Stage IV team for the ABC Clinic (directly benefitting MBC patients)
$31,858 - Stomp Out donations influenced through Unicorn’s $10k match challenge
$35,583 - combined impact from Unicorn for ABC Clinic & IBC Clinic (direct & influenced donations)
Snapshot taken on November 30, 2023
The Walk
I represented Unicorn Cancer Thrivers Foundation by flying down to Houston to participate in the Boot Walk event on November 4th, 2023. It was an incredible turnout of 1,000s of survivors, thrivers, caregivers, supporters, and MDACC staff. Living in California (though originally from Houston), most of my interactions with the ABC Clinic and fellow advocates had been virtual. Seeing many of them in person was the most wonderful experience. I was so energized by their fire, drive, and hope. There were so many hugs and laughs and just gratitude for being together THAT day. With MBC, each day is not a given. I met two other healing husbands who had recently lost their wives to Metastatic Breast Cancer.
And lastly, some of my advocate friends introduced me to the president of MD Anderson, Dr Peter Pisters. We had a brief chat about how important it is for patients to feel empowered to have a voice in their treatment, and to be an equal partner in the overall care, not just as a doctor-patient relationship. Pisters was immensely grateful for the strong advocate community providing guidance and insights to the institution, which he said was critical and unique. This is a model for healthcare that we need to replicate around the world.
Rosemary and President Pisters
Taking a Moment
The event came to a close late morning. It was absolutely amazing to catch-up with folks and see such a huge turnout in support of a better cancer-busting future. It was also mentally heavy to recognize the reality of Metastatic Breast Cancer. Janice was not with me. She passed last year from MBC. Here I was at the cancer center that give us cutting edge treatments, empathy, and hope that overcame her stage IV cancer for most of the 10.5 years. This was also the place where we were given the news that she was out of options. We had been to almost all departments and buildings serving breast cancer patients, including ER and inpatient rooms. We know this hospital inside and out. It was like a second home. I had not stepped inside MDACC since we left that harrowing no option day - May 10, 2022.
Observation Deck, Main Building, MD Anderson
So while most left the area, I went into the building. I told the front desk my story and that I wanted to walk around for healing. They gave me a VIP pass. And with that, I walked the many halls and waiting lounges that were cemented in my memory. Being a Saturday, the network of buildings were mostly empty. I found myself in the observation deck on the 28th floor of the Main building. It has a beautiful panoramic view of medical center and Houston in all directions. I took Janice there after her first big mastectomy surgery in 2013; it helped her heal. The grand piano she played during chemo breaks was still there, but now had a cover on, as if it needed a friend who could no longer show. And I took her there in her last months, in a wheelchair. It was always a secret place that gave all patrons a sense of peace. I gave thanks for granting us those moments.
Continuing Our Mission
There were treatment options for Janice - just 8 months too late. While our story is different, there is hope for those facing late stage IV MBC today. More options are available, there's more awareness for MBC, and more research and clinical trials are in play. We cannot stop being vigilant though. Treatments still need to be faster and with less side effects. Easing the burden and improving quality of life will always be constants. This is why I founded Unicorn.
Unicorn Cancer Thrivers will continue to support quality of life programs, advocate for improved outcomes / funding / access, and work on tools to help those affected by MBC worry less, and thrive more.
Unicorn Cancer Thrivers Foundation is a charity improving the quality of life for those affected by Metastatic Breast Cancer. 100% of donations directly benefit MBC thrivers. Support us with a donation here and help bring hope & healing to the MBC community.
