OMG! What are the odds?

What are the odds that 50% of ONE family can be diagnosed with cancer? A million to one... a billion to one? These guys should head to Vegas!

I'd like you to meet my team's newest honoree, Jim Pixton (left). Not only is he an honoree but he'll also be participating in a century with me. Talk about a tough guy!

Here is the story in his words:

The short version is that the Pixton family have three TNT honorees and we love being associated with Team in Training.

The longer version is as follows. It’s all true—I swear. We can confirm that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

My wife Jennifer and I have four kids. The youngest, Porter, is five. He was born in November 2003. In March 2004, he was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a particularly nasty and rare type of the disease. Chemo doesn’t cure it; only a stem cell transplant has shown promise for long-term survival. Fortunately, his big sister , Eliza, now nine, is a perfect match. He hasn’t gone into treatment yet because the cancer hasn’t flared. We feel very fortunate about that.

In April 2004, I joined Team in Training to keep from going crazy and do something to contribute to the fight against blood cancers. One month later, however, I noticed a lump on my neck and went to get it checked out. In June of 2004 I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and started chemotherapy. Although I ultimately wasn’t able to ride the High Sierra Century because I was between my fourth and fifth rounds of chemo, I still did all the training rides including the final 80-mile ride at Point Reyes. I went with my family to Mammoth to cheer the team on. I finished six rounds of chemotherapy in October and was one of the first groups of under-65 patients to use a wonder drug called Retuxin to treat high-grade lymphoma. Retuxin was developed by a research fellow using funds from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

We thought the Pixton Family had filled its cancer quota, but in January 2008 my wife Jen went to her doctor with stomach pains. It turned out to be a tumor the size of a football on her right ovary. After an emergency hysterectomy she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and did three rounds of chemotherapy. Jen finished her last round of chemotherapy on April 1, 2008. To celebrate her one-year anniversary she signed up with Team in Training and completed the Solvang Century this year in March.

Our family has been so blessed with support and friendships from Team in Training. The Leukemia and Lymphoma’s website was the first place we turned to for answers about blood cancers. We’ve received financial support through their patient reimbursement program. We hope we can continue be honorees and ride with Team in Training for many years to come.

Keep up the great work. Go Team!

~Jim

Please help me reach my $5,000 goal with a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We can find a cure!