BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — For the ninth summer in a row, Danielle Casucci will ride her bicycle from New York City to Niagara Falls.
She's taking part in the 500-mile Empire State Ride, which raises money for cancer research at Roswell Park. For her it's not only a physical journey, but a personal one, that's kept her coming back year after year.
"My first Empire State Ride was in 2016 - three months after I finished my breast cancer treatment here at Roswell Park," she explained. "I found a lump on my right breast. I had a lumpectomy performed, and we found it had spread into my lymph nodes."
Casucci went through treatment at Roswell Park, and has now been in remission for nine years. These days, she dedicates not only her personal time, but her career, to helping other people fight cancer. She's the Vice President of Clinical Operations for MimiVax, which is a company that's created a brain cancer vaccine.
"It extends the lives basically of people with glioblastoma," Casucci explained. "Prevents the multiplication of the cells in the brain so that they can live to see those extra milestones in their lives."
The vaccine was developed at Roswell Park, and is currently in the trial phase. Casucci tracks, manages and maintains data from the clinical trials.
"Danielle has been the key to running our clinical trials," said MimiVax CEO Doctor Michael Ciesielski, who helped develop the vaccine. "She oversees all trials and is the one out there managing patients and keeping the study on track. It wouldn't be possible to even do these trials without Danielle around."
Ciesielski says having staff like Danielle, who carry their passion from work to their personal life and vice versa, are part of the reason the vaccine, and the trials, have gone so far.
"Projects like this don't get off the ground without donations," he explained. "The actual dollars that come through the Empire State Ride are really offsetting patient costs. Those dollars are paying for patient MRIs, blood work, hospital visits, and to get them in the trial and take care of them in the process. Every dollar is going to patient care."
"I see where those dollars go," explained Casucci. "And these trials cost millions and millions of dollars to keep going."
Casucci says the dollars the ride brings in save lives, and that's something she knows she'll be thinking about as she rides side by side with other supporters, cancer survivors and fighters.
"To see the journeys," she said. "Listen to their stories, and be able to reflect on where you are in your life and how grateful and humble you are for another day."
Every dollar the ride brings in can be turned into $23 with grants and federal funding.
If you want to donate to the ride or learn more about it, you can visit the website here.
