HI, my name is Jeremie and I manage the academic programs at OSU's Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures,

I support Pelotonia's efforts to raise money for cancer research because I feel indebted to those that have contributed to the incredible advances in understanding and treating cancer. I have been proud to fundraise almost $10,000 since being involved with Pelotonia. I hope that I can encourage people to support this research by sharing our story.

You may have heard about my campaign to exchange custom woodworking projects for Pelotonia donations. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here.

Almost 10 years ago my wife, Maggie, and I were overjoyed to find out that we were expecting our first child. This elation was replaced with terror when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer a couple of months later.

I remember sitting in my living room the day we heard this frightening news, feeling like my entire world was coming apart at the seams. We felt like a Category 5 hurricane was blowing through our lives and all we could do was hold on, white-knuckled, and hope that modern medicine would prevent our love story from being cut short.

Maggie's team of doctors at the Mills Breast Cancer Center in Urbana, Illinois, collaborated on an ambitious treatment plan that included a mastectomy surgery and 12 weeks of chemotherapy during her pregnancy, and another round of chemo and 2nd mastectomy soon after delivery, all carefully planned out with the goal of saving her life while also minimizing the risk to our unborn child. This treatment plan was made possible by exponential advancements made in cancer research, particularly breast cancer research, over the last several decades.

Maggie's treatment plan was multi-faceted and arduous, made much more complicated by the fact that doctors had to constantly monitor the health of our baby. In May of 2016, Maggie had her first mastectomy. Throughout that summer, we spent endless hours in the chemotherapy infusion room, where Maggie received just enough of the powerful chemotherapy drugs to kill the cancer cells but doled out carefully to minimize the risk to the child growing in her womb.

Maggie was also in the last stages of completing her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Illinois. She defended her dissertation in August, radiantly rotund in the third-trimester of pregnancy and beautifully bald from chemo, but living the life she chose for herself. A month later, on September 14, 2016, we welcomed our healthy son, Isaac, to the world. That day, holding my wife's hand and looking into my son's eyes for the first time, I remember thinking that I would never be able to fully express how grateful I was to have them both by my side.

Today, 9 1/2 years later, Maggie's active treatment is complete and she is cancer free. We moved to Columbus, Ohio in August of 2017 and the demands of parenthood occupies much of our attention. Maggie is currently participating in survivorship programs and follow-up treatment at the Stephanie Spielman Breast Cancer Center. She teaches in the Department of Microbiology, so OSU is the 3rd campus we have shared (Hanover College, University of Illinois, and The Ohio State University). In March 2021, we welcomed twin boys to our family, making it a full house of three boys under 10-years-old.

Maggie and I both feel a responsibility to find meaningful ways to give back and express our gratitude for all of the countless people that helped with Maggie’s treatment and supporting us through this difficult time. Participating in Pelotonia provides an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for cancer research while joining a community of people in celebrating life, love, and cycling!

5 years ago, we were asked by the folks at Pelotonia to do an interview for the Pelotonia Podcast One Goal. If you are interested in listening to that podcast episode, you can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-for-isaac/id1473890364?i=1000449097523

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I’ve joined the Greatest Team Ever, a global community committed to changing the world by accelerating innovative cancer research. Together, the Pelotonia community has raised over $236 million over the past 13 years for cancer research at the OSUCCC – James. But we aren’t stopping there. Every single dollar we raise is invested in the brightest minds in cancer research who are making cancer therapies less toxic and more effective for patients. From increasing cancer prevention and early detection methods to creating new drugs that are in use today – Pelotonia dollars are truly saving lives. Our community is especially proud that Pelotonia pledged $102,265,000 in 2019 to launch the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, a bench-to-bedside research initiative focused on harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer. You can learn more about The Institute and Pelotonia’s lifetime impact at Pelotonia.org/Our-Impact. I’m proud to ask for your support of my fundraising goal knowing that Pelotonia directs 100% of every dollar raised by its participants to innovative cancer research at the OSUCCC-James. One Goal!