In November, 1995, 17-year-old Seth Bailey was passionate about sports. A junior at Iowa Mennonite School, he was surprised when a sore leg turned into something serious. A diagnosis of soft-tissue synovial sarcoma cancer came as a shock to all who knew Seth. His family and friends rallied around him while he learned that his best chance to defeat cancer was through an amputation of his right leg. Seth showed courage during and beyond cancer and returned to the sports he loved by playing high school varsity basketball with his prosthesis. Just five years after cancer first appeared in his life, it returned to his lungs and chest.
Seth endured a year of chemotherapy and radiation. Although cancer was a part of Seth’s life, it didn’t define it. His courage and determination led him to become an intern for the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2002. He continued as an athlete and trained as a swimmer hoping to one day compete in the Paralympics.
In November 2002 more cancerous tumors were found in and around his lungs. Seth died in October 2003 after a heroic fight to live. All who knew him remember his courage.
The Courage Ride is dedicated to improving the lives of people living with cancer by raising money to fund research into sarcoma and other cancers at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa Health Care. The Courage Ride will take place on Saturday, August 25, 2012. Registration begins at 6 a.m. at Iowa Mennonite School. All proceeds benefit cancer research at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa. For registration forms and more information click here.
Join Bicyclists of Iowa City and the Bailey family as they raise funds to improve the lives of people living with cancer.
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