It's July and time to once again ask for your help.

On September 14, 2025, I will be participating in the sixteenth annual Heat It to Beat It walk. This year, Donald and I will again be walking 2.2 miles around West Covington Park in Baltimore. As always, the funds raised will help support research projects and increase awareness about Peritoneal Carcinomatosis and the use of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) as an effective treatment option for long-term survival. A recent study found that appendix cancer cases are rising sharply among young adults. In fact, Gen Xers and Millenials are developing the cancer at rates three to four times higher than their parents' generation.

It's hard for me to believe that almost 22 years have passed since my original diagnosis and surgery, and I have managed to defy the odds of not having a recurrence of Appendiceal Cancer with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP). Because this particular cancer is so rare, nobody is dedicated to finding a cure. It is therefore up to the survivors, along with their families and friends, to raise money for research. That’s where you come in.

Surgical oncologist Dr. Armando Sardi, Director of The Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy Medical Center and, just as important, my doctor should I ever need the specialized surgery and HIPEC, will dedicate the money raised to ongoing research by him and his team. In 2024, the team's work was published in eight top-tier medical journals, and they made 21 presentations in 10 national/international conferences.

I would greatly appreciate your contributions to help me reach my goal of $2,000. I will once again personally match any amount I raise, so please be generous.

Please go to my fundraising page, where donating is very easy to do and completely secure. If you wish to make a contribution by check, it should be made out to Mercy Health Foundation and mailed to the following address:

Mercy Health Foundation

Attn: Erin McDonnell

301 St. Paul Place

Baltimore, MD 21202

Please be sure to include a note that the gift is for Dr. Sardi's research and is in honor of me as a participant in the Heat it to Beat It walk.

Thanks for your support!

Sheila