A message from Old Stone Dock Members Peter & Andrea Cahill.

October 2020
Friends –
We’re undertaking another fundraising effort on behalf of the Andrea Cahill Foundation at MGH. This year’s Fundraiser, like everything else, will be a little different than the 9 before. Since there’s no practical way to ride to Montreal as we love to do, over the last week in October, Peter will bike four legs of 80 miles from our home in Falmouth, MA. The intention is the same – to raise $20,000 to support research and program funding to assist all those afflicted with neurofibromatosis (NF) being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

I don’t need to detail the horrors of this disease – this letter is directed to the group of family, friends and donors who know Andrea, have seen her courage, and have contributed generously to this cause in the past. What I will tell you is that your efforts (we’ve raised over $175,000 to-date, of which 100% go directly to MGH) have paid huge dividends – we can now test for NF2 and know with certainty if the mutated gene has been passed down to the next generation (ask our kids how important this achievement was), some surgeries are being done with small laser incisions and recoveries are far shorter since Andrea was diagnosed over 35 years ago, we’ve helped fund clinical positions, and been a part of generating grants that have supported better patient care, new research and most importantly ongoing hope for those affected.

You might remember that as of the last fundraising effort, Andrea was the first NF patient to try a new experimental drug (AZD2014) that actually shrunk her tumors – the first time that’s EVER happened; she is also the first patient to try the 2nd generation of this drug treatment and as a result of her brave advocacy this drug (Brigatinib) is now in clinical trials and helping dozens of NF patients nationwide – that’s real, meaningful progress!

We (as part of the research team under the direction of Dr. Scott Plotkin at MGH) are making real strides toward a cure and want you to know that our fundraising and your contributions are a meaningful part of that progress. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your contributions in the past; thank you in advance for your contributions to the 2020 campaign.

God bless, Andrea & Peter Cahill

For more info on the web at: https://because.massgeneral.org/cure4nf2
Or mail checks to:
Andrea Cahill fund for NF2 research at MGH*
297 Walker Street, Falmouth, MA 02540

*The Andrea Cahill Fund for NF2 research at MGH is a 501 C 3 designation & all donations are fully tax deductible.