Team Schaefer's Story:

My dad has been fighting melanoma since his diagnosis in 2017. Initially, doctors removed a tumor and several lymph nodes under his arm, discovering that one node also contained melanoma. Fortunately, the cancer was fully contained within that node, so no further treatment was needed at the time.

He was required to see Dr. Schuchter, his oncologist of 8 years, to get scans every six months. In July 2022, he celebrated five years of being cancer-free—a major milestone! But the joy was short-lived. In early 2023, new tumors were found in his lymph nodes, organs, and bones.

Since then, Mike has undergone multiple surgeries, over 50 rounds of radiation, and a year and a half of the most aggressive FDA-approved immunotherapy treatments. Despite these efforts, cancer has progressed to Stage 4 metastatic melanoma.

As a former college baseball player, he approached this battle with a mindset of playing hard and never giving up. My dad remains optimistic and continues to say it’s easy to keep fighting when “Team Schaefer,” made up of my mom, brothers, and extended family and friends, surrounds him (us) with love and encouragement.

Last year was our first year riding together in the 2024 Breakthrough challenge. This year, I will ride for my dad who continues to fight every single day.

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We are participating to show our support for the Breakthrough Challenge and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. Our fundraising efforts will support Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center. We are fueling the research that will deliver breakthroughs! Make your tax-deductible donation today and take the first step toward helping us achieve our goal.