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A group of cancer survivors are cycling hundreds of miles for those still fighting

Cyclists going hundreds of miles for bigger cause
Posted at 7:17 PM, Jul 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-02 19:17:31-04

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Bob Falkenberg cured his leukemia in 2009 with a bone marrow transplant, but it wasn’t an easy road. Falkenberg had to endure chemotherapy and radiation. Now, he’s a 13 year cancer survivor, and he’s paying it all forward.

“Be a match wanted me to help grow the program, so I started the Tour De TC,” Falkenberg said.

The Tour De Treatment Center has raised $95,000 toward getting money for cancer patients. That money could be able to help patients get on a registry for a transplant donor. Falkenberg said not everybody has the luxury of getting a transplant when they need to, whether that's because of finance or even your genetic makeup.

“I had 13 perfect matches for the bone marrow donor registry. If you’re black, there’s only a 29% chance of finding a single donor on the registry right now,” Falkenberg said.

And he’s trying to spread the message that more donors can and should step forward to help everybody.

“We’re really trying to get the word out that we need some more donors from these under-represented groups,” Falkenberg said.

No matter who is going through cancer treatment right now, Falkenberg said that it's really easy to sit and rest because of how you feel. As you keep fighting though, that's when he said the biggest reward comes not only in how you feel, but in life too.

"Even when I felt terrible, I got up and walked. I never laid around in the hospital bed. You feel terrible when you're going through chemotherapy. It's hard, but it's hard work. You can do it," Falkenberg said.

The next parts of the tour will take place at the following dates and locations:

  • Adirondacks: July 2-16
  • Boston to Philadelphia: July 18-26
  • Midwest: September 17-27
  • Minnesota: October 1