Appendix Cancer PMP (ACPMP) Research Foundation

As many of you know, Jed Todd (my husband) was diagnosed with Stage 4 appendiceal cancer on 1/4/2021.  Jed had surgery at Christiana Hospital on 2/18/2021 to remove as much of the cancer as possible.  During the surgery, Jed underwent a procedure known as HIPEC (heated chemotherapy).  Jed spent 2 ½ weeks at Christiana Hospital.  He was released on 3/6/2021.  Jed started chemotherapy at Helen Graham Cancer Center on 4/6/2021. 

Appendix Cancer/PMP is an extremely rare disease that has affected many and there is so little known about it.  While Jed was in pre-op, he signed paperwork giving permission for some of the tissue samples removed from his abdomen to be used for research.  He told the person that was getting the paperwork signed, “if research on my tumors can help save someone else’s life, I’m more than happy to help.”  Jed received a letter from a research facility in Michigan thanking him for donating a tissue sample for research.  Tissue samples were also donated to Helen Graham, Johns Hopkins, and other research facilities around the country. 

By the time someone has any symptom of this type of cancer it is already at Stage 4 and has spread to other organs.  When I asked Jed’s oncologist how long Jed had to live he said, “a year, two years, maybe five years; he could even make it to 10+ years and be a miracle patient; I just don’t know.”  That’s how little oncologists know about appendiceal cancer.  They just don’t know.

So, on June 20, 2021, my daughter (Claudia Griffiths) and I are going to participate in the Appendix Cancer PMP Walk Run!  We hope to raise $5,000 for the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation which is working towards finding a cure for appendix cancer. 

Please consider supporting our walk.  All proceeds we raise will go directly to the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation.  ACPMP Research Foundation funds and supports scientific research and education related to Pseudomyxoma Peritonei and Appendix Cancer.

Every dollar we raise makes a difference in our fight against appendix cancer.

Once again, this year we are doing a race to raise money for cancer research. Thank you to all who have supported this cause in the past - so far we have been able to raise over $3000! This year I will be competing in the 7th Annual DIRT triathlon held in Loma, CO: https://www.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=8482 

In 2016, Alex was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer and underwent a series of surgeries to remove malignant cells from her appendix and abdomen. Only four months after her second surgery and a long recovery in the hospital, Alex completed a triathlon to raise money for others in the fight against cancer.  

Unfortunately, cancer has affected many lives among our friends and family in recent years. We remain dedicated to raising money for a cure, so that one day this awful disease can be a thing of the past.

Please donate to this GoFundMe page or donate directly to:
- the ACPMP foundation which specializes in appendix conditions similar to Alex's: https://acpmp.org/donate 
- or to St. Jude's at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html