A second chance: LOWVELO rider living with leukemia bringing hope to the Charleston area, one bike at a time
A bicycle – it was a practical gift that ended up being the catalyst for her whole lifestyle and got her through a cancer diagnosis. Now, Sylvie Baele wants to help others use bikes to improve their lives. It’s why she runs Charleston’s only nonprofit bike shop and why she rides in LOWVELO.
Where the money goes: Developing novel treatments to help patients quit tobacco products
Amanda Palmer, Ph.D.’s goal as a researcher is to develop and test treatments for quitting new tobacco products, like e-cigarettes. Thanks to LOWVELO rider-raised funds her research is providing a roadmap of what health effects should be looked at in treatment studies. This helps Palmer find the best ways to help people stop using tobacco and learn more about how their bodies benefit from quitting.
Get ready for LOWVELO25 Glow Blue Week!
LOWVELO Glow Blue Week is Sept. 22-25! Join us as we light up MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in blue for LOWVELO25! This week-long pep rally includes special events, free registration for our Nov. 1 ride and fun giveaways all week long. Learn more about eh exciting events happening each day. See you there!
LOWVELO sponsor riding for the future of cancer research, legacy of his father
LOWVELO sponsor Brent Tabor has a very personal tie to the ride. His dad, Ed, battled lymphoma for more than a decade. He even tried what he referred to as his “Hail Mary pass” – an immunotherapy called CAR-T cell therapy. It’s a treatment that could be game-changing for cancer. Now Brent rides to honor his father’s legacy and to further the future of cancer research.
LOWVELO is for everyone: Hollings researcher and artist finds creative way to fundraise
The ways to get involved in LOWVELO are limitless, and Hollings researcher Nancy Klauber DeMore, M.D., is the perfect example of how anyone can join. Her art collection, “Blooming Expressions: A Dance of Color” is currently being featured at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, and she is donating a portion of all sales during the month of May to LOWVELO.
LOWVELO funding allows Hollings Cancer Center researchers to study depression in cancer survivors
Data shows that one in four cancer survivors suffers from depression, which can lead to decreased physical and social functioning, a lower quality of life and reduced survival rates. This is why a team of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers, with funding from LOWVELO, is working to reduce depression among a growing population of survivors and improve their quality of life.
Where the money goes: researcher using LOWVELO funds to revolutionize treatment for solid tumors
Most people don’t have a positive reaction to seeing blood. But MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researcher Leonardo Ferreira, Ph.D. isn’t most people. “Every time I look at a drop of blood, I see cells screaming to be weaponized against cancer.” Ferreira’s lab hopes to bring CAR-T cell therapy, a game-changing treatment showing success in liquid tumors to solid tumors.
A clinical trial saved his life: LOWVELO performer cancer-free 15 years after terminal diagnosis
He didn’t feel sick at all. Nathan Calhoun was young, he was fit, he was in a brand-new relationship, he had just started a band and then he heard the words “You have cancer.” After noticing a spot on his neck, Nathan visited a dermatologist who gave him the news he never expected to hear – it was stage 3 melanoma. After the surgery, the news got worse. He was given four to six months to live. He still didn’t feel sick.
A million-dollar moment: LOWVELO riders deliver banner year for cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center
A new threshold has been crossed for LOWVELO – a $1 million threshold. LOWELO24 had more riders, more teams and more dollars raised than any ride in its six-year history. Participants – all 1,895 of them – combined to crush the previous fundraising record, collecting $1,002,000 for lifesaving cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.
Married 43 years, LOWVELO rider honoring his late wife in a big way
It was a morning date that changed their lives. Jack Kopnisky and his wife Kathy were out to breakfast in New York, where they lived when she told her husband something didn’t feel right. A trip to the hospital and some testing confirmed that it was a seizure, and it had been caused by an astrocytoma in Kathy’s brain. Jack is now honoring his wife in a big way.