Dear Family & Friends,
Our team has committed ourselves to running the South County Health Centennial 5K on May 11 to support Cancer Care at South County Hospital. South County Hospital has been providing life-saving care to the residents of South County and beyond since 1919. Generations of compassionate people have nurtured the growth of South County Hospital and supported its evolution as a cornerstone of the integrated health system we know today as South County Health.
Our team's motivation and commitment to this cause has been very personal. Each one of our team members has been affected in one way or another by this terrible disease. One of our team members, Matthew Callaghan, was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 19. He was a freshman at URI when he was diagnosed. That same day, he agreed to have Dr. John Heffernan complete his first surgery. After surgery, Matthew found out that the cancer had spread into the lymph nodes in his abdomen and was referred to Dr. James Smythe. Dr. Smythe recommended that Matthew go through three cycles of chemotherapy, which required him to have infusions Monday through Friday at South County Hospital over the course of nine weeks. Unfortunately after nine weeks of chemotherapy, the tumors in his lymph nodes hadn't shrunk to the size Dr. Smythe would have liked to see. Dr. Smythe then referred Matthew and his family to Brigham & Woman's in Boston to have his final surgery where they would remove the lymph nodes from his abdomen and have them biopsied in order to see if there was any remaining cancer cells. Finally, Matthew and his family got the news they had been waiting so desperately for, HE WAS CANCER FREE!
So now we ask you to please make a donation in support of our team's efforts to raise money for the same Cancer Center that helped save Matthew's life. Our goal as a team is to raise $1500. We're improving our quality of life by participating and with your support; we can help improve the quality of life for patients and their families. You can donate by visiting: www.crowdrise.com/donate/event/centennial5k?lang=en-us
Donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your support!
Cardiopulmonary Rehab & Wellness Staff
Morgan Abbenante, Roberto Aguirre, Lexie Cabral, Matthew Callaghan, Lisa Chatowsky, Nicole Dilibero, Ann Marie Lagor, Maggie Mann, Chuck Picillo, & Alexis Plumley
