Drive 4 Stage IV

Drive 4 Stage IV Nonprofit Organization

Pamela Lee King, 51, died Saturday, June 16, 2018, from metastatic breast cancer, nearly 3 years after her initial diagn...
06/25/2018

Pamela Lee King, 51, died Saturday, June 16, 2018, from metastatic breast cancer, nearly 3 years after her initial diagnosis.

Born in Syracuse, Pam grew up in Lewiston, NY. A gifted athlete in many sports, she attended Niagara University on a soccer scholarship. She finished her degree at the University of Buffalo, in marketing and communications. She began her career in pharmaceutical sales in Pittsburgh. She and her husband, Chris Pike, were married in 2001, and built their lives together in Jamestown.

An independent consultant in the medical field, Pam was a global strategic thinker, working with medical professionals, patient advocacy teams, pharmaceutical companies, and legislative lobbying groups to advance the development of better treatment options, insurance coverage and support for people living with an array of underrepresented diseases. She played an integral role in launching The US HAEA Angioedema Center at the University of California San Diego, helping to raise necessary funding and advising on their commitment to improve the lives of angioedema patients throughout the world.

Soon after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, Pam reached out to METAvivor, an organization established to promote metastatic breast cancer awareness, research and support. Using her professional expertise for a very personal cause, Pam helped move the non-profit forward through her strategic planning in legislative efforts; in raising funds for research; and in securing grants from companies to continue the work of the volunteer-run organization.

Pam's life touched many. Friends from her childhood outside of Western New York; her early working career in Pittsburgh; the time spent in Toronto, where she met her husband; and from many cities in the United States and internationally where she travelled in her professional role, are experiencing the loss of this dynamic woman.

Knowing her life was coming to an end, Pam embarked on a cross-country road rally, with her husband, Chris and friends. Raising money for MBC research and awareness of the disease, Pam's last days were spent working for a cause she believed in. "I can sit at home and deteriorate," she said, preparing for the rally, "or I can go try to have fun. I choose to have fun!" Those who knew Pam King will appreciate knowing she did have fun.

Pam is survived by her much-loved husband, Chris Pike; her mother, Pat King; and her brother, Don King. Pam would also want her beloved dogs, Finn and Dodger, to be recognized. She was preceded in death by her father, Don King, with whom she had a very special connection.

A service will be held Saturday, August 4th, 1:00 PM, St. Mark Church, Jamestown, Rhode Island with a Celebration of Life to follow, 3:00 PM at the Conanicut Yacht Club.

Donations to METAvivor Research and Support Inc. can be made on-line in Pam's honor here: www.drive4stageiv.com The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA Jamestown FiSH

06/25/2018

Thanks Endurance Rally Association - ERA! Please support The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project METAvivor Research and Support Inc.

  6/17/18  : "The Conclusion of The Drive4StageIV / TransAmerica Endurance RallyIn Fall 2016, Chris, Pam and I were havi...
06/19/2018

6/17/18 : "The Conclusion of The Drive4StageIV / TransAmerica Endurance Rally
In Fall 2016, Chris, Pam and I were having dinner at Jamestown Fish. Jeff was out of town. Pam was telling me how her fellow Board members at METAvivor were encouraging her to host a fundraiser in Jamestown. Pam and I were not huge gala fans - it's just not our thing.

Then Chris came up with a brilliant idea - to drive the TransAmerica Road Rally in 2018, to raise awareness of metastatic breast cancer and funds for research with METAvivor.

Pam and I looked at each other and said "We could do that!" Of course, we would also take our dogs! So the plan was born.

Of course, we didn't plan on Pam being so sick by the time of the rally. Pam had a very difficult winter this past year, with two bad bouts of pneumonia, metastasis in the brain which (meant debilitating whole brain radiation), and she was approaching the end of her limited treatment options. Pam's cancer mutated and spread, making the known treatments increasingly less effective. This is the story for the many people diagnosed out of the gate with metastatic breast cancer, like Pam, as well as those whose cancer recurs as metastatic cancer. Pam's life ended the same way. Nearly 3 years after her initial diagnosis, she died when her body shut down after allowing her 2 of the 3 weeks on the rally she so wanted to experience.

"I can stay home and deteriorate," said Pam a few days before we left for the rally. "Or I can go and have fun. I choose to have fun!"

In that spirit we gathered in Charleston, dogs in tow. Everyone who has read our "dogs' blog" knows the rest of the story.

Our dear friends Peg and Tim Eades drove our 1957 Chevy BelAir across the rally finish line in Seattle. They finished the task that Pam and had I planned with joy, hope and determination. They did it in honor of that very special person, Pam King. Thank you, thank you!

The end-of-rally dinner in Seattle was a joyous celebration of the cars, people, heat, roads, and overall accomplished challenges of the 2018 TransAmerica Road Rally. Thank you to the Endurance Rally Association - ERA for supporting our Drive 4 Stage IV effort.

Fred Gallagher, the Rally Director, had kind words to say about Pam, and he expressed condolences to her much-loved husband, Chris, from all of the ERA staff and rally participants. Everyone stood for a moment of silence in memory of Pam, and then all raised a glass as a toast to her spirit. During each rally, gifted photographer Gerard Brown takes amazing pictures throughout the event, and the 2018 TransAmerica was no exception. The slide show compiled for the dinner will be available on the Endurance Rally Association's website and page in the next few days. The final slide is a wonderful picture of Pam, showing her after the first day of navigating, Charleston to Charlotte.

At the conclusion of each rally, participants vote on who best embodied the "Spirit of the Rally." This TransAmerica, Car 12, the '57 Chevy BelAir, won this award. This award recognizes not just Pam and I, but Peggy and Tim, who brought it to the finish line in Pam's honor. Tim's contributions to making this rally happen for us - by prepping our cars, teaching Pam and I how to read a tulip book by making one for us to practice with in Jamestown, supporting the Chevy and the Ford and the people who were driving and navigating - cannot all be enumerated here, but Pam and I definitely appreciated his efforts, done with love. Peg bravely stepped in to navigate for me driving the Chevy, first for half-days, then whole days, when it became obvious Pam could no longer do it. Peg was a quick study, and we had our own level of fun, laughing together, worrying about the Chevy, enjoying each other's - and Gemma's - company, and sharing our experience of each day with Pam so she could participate in a little more of the rally adventure through us. We also need to mention our dear friend, Willie, who spent time with Pam and Finn and Dodger in the RV, watching over Pam as well as her beloved dogs. Chris and Jeff, who were with Pam and I every step of the way, both physically and emotionally, were our closest support, and understand more than anyone how much this meant to Pam.. Thank you, with love.

The sweeps, Andy, Tony, Jamie and Bo - the rock-star mechanics who ensured all these vintage cars could continue on the rally - brought Tim an envelope at the end of the dinner. It was their donation to METAvivior, in honor of Pam. Thank you for this illustration of how Pam's efforts in the TransAmerica brought awareness, and research funding dollars to fight metastatic breast cancer - the disease that took our beloved friend Pam.

Pam's life is over, but her story continues. We want to keep Drive4StageIV going in myriad ways, and hope to continue to raise awareness and research funds with the help of METAvivor. Pam's brother, Don, will be taking the lead, with support from Pam's mom, Pat; and of course, me. Finn, Dodger and Gemma will guide the effort, along with Don's dog, Monty and Pat's pup, Cody. Pam would be happy to see us having fun.
-Gaye"

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA Jamestown FiSH

  6/16/18  : "  Every 14 minutes someone with metastatic breast cancer dies in the United States. Today Aunt Pam was one...
06/18/2018

6/16/18 : "
Every 14 minutes someone with metastatic breast cancer dies in the United States. Today Aunt Pam was one of those people.

Uncle Chris, Aunt Pam's mom Pat; and Aunt Pam's brother Don, were with her. So were my mom and dad, Finn and Dodger, Monty and me. It was hard to see her go, but we know she was ready. We also know that the Drive4StageIV gave her great comfort, while we were driving to raise awareness about metastatic breast cancer, raise funding for research through METAvivor, and encourage hope for current and future MBC patients. It is what Aunt Pam wanted.

Here's some news from Peg and Tim on the road:

"Before we talk about Day 21, we wanted to tell you about the Sweep's party on the evening of Day 20. It seems that this is done towards the end of every rally, and it's a way for the Sweeps to say thanks to all the rally participants. The transformation of changing their truck from a giant tool box into a bar was pretty funny. Everyone had a drink or two and a lot of laughs.

Now, back to Day 21. It started out with route changes being handed out thirty minutes before start time. The reason for the changes was because McKenzie Pass is not yet open for motorized traffic. We were told that they are still doing clean-up after a fire in that area during the recent week or so.

As we left Bend, we saw a guy walking down the road with a backpack, and he had a handwritten sign across his backpack saying "Salem". This must be the new way of hitchhiking where you don't have to stick your thumb out and wait.

We drove up into Mt. Hood National Forest, and the scenery was beautiful. The evergreens and foliage were lush and green. We saw all sorts of blue, yellow, white, and purple wildflowers, as well as gorgeous ferns, growing along the road.

While driving through Mt. Hood National Forest we had rain for about ten minutes or so, and afterwards there was see steam coming from the road as we drove along.

Coming up with names for roads must be a lot of fun. Here are two of the funny names that we saw yesterday: Pudding River Road and Nutmeg Road.

There were also lots of roads named after creeks, including Lake Creek Road, Straight Creek Road, Horn Creek Road, Fall Creek Road, Marion Creek Road, and others.

On Day 20, we came upon a cow in the road, and on Day 21 a young deer ran out. When the deer got in front of us it just stopped, looked at us, and then turned and ran back. It may have just wanted to see what was going on.

We ended Day 21 at the Woodburn Dragstrip. Each rally car got to have three runs on the quarter mile track. Everyone loved it.

The Bel Air did great on the first two runs, but on the last run the Bel Air had only warmed up for a minute and that wasn't enough. So when the green light came on, the other car, which was a VW, took off, but the Bel Air stalled. Tim has now being razzed because he was beat by a Beetle!

That's it for now."

This was quite a day. The rally was in Oregon, and back home in Jamestown, we all said goodbye to Aunt Pam. She died before the rally was finished - but she knew Tim and Peg were going to finish, and that made her happy!

There's one more day remaining in the rally, finishing in Seattle!!”

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project METAvivor Research and Support Inc. METAvivor: Sea To Sea for MBC Campaign Endurance Rally Association - ERA

  6/15/18  : "  Another new state - Oregon! I was looking forward to being there, since it would be a new state for me, ...
06/16/2018

6/15/18 : " Another new state - Oregon! I was looking forward to being there, since it would be a new state for me, but I guess I need to go another time.

The '57 Chevy Bel Air started first again today. The entire TransAmerica rally is focused on getting the Drive4StageIV team to Seattle to honor Pam! She can certainly be proud of this effort to raise awareness of metastatic breast cancer and funds for research into treatments for other patients.

We heard from Peg and Tim when they stopped for the morning time control in Vale, Oregon. It was day 20 of the rally, and they celebrated with pie! The picture of Uncle Tim shows a pretty big smile! I guess the pie makes up for some of the car's problems! Then Tim sent this very complete update at the end of their long driving day:

"Upon arrival at the newly built hotel in Boise, there was no hot water. Management said they had plumbers working on the problem. This morning, surprise, there was still no hot water. Not good for all of us older folks who need hot water to get the blood moving. Still though, not a big deal when considering how lucky we all are to be participating in this wonderful rally and seeing beautiful parts of the USA.

One of the rally participants, Matthew, a Brit, said he woke up in the middle of the night and thought there was a burglar in his room. Soon, he realized it was his driver, Michael, who was lost in the dark in the hotel room. So like a good navigator, he instructed his lost driver to "Turn 180 degrees. Walk 2 meters forward. Now turn left. Walk three meters forward. Enter the bathroom. Shut the door."

Mick from Switzerland, in the red Mercedes, and his wife Grace, started behind the Bel Air. At the first Time Control of the morning, he came up to us and said "I have not driven behind the BelAir before. When you let off the gas, it sounds like someone is shooting at me." Welcome to the beautiful sound of an American V8, Mick!

Leaving Boise and entering the rural part of the state, we passed a sign that said "Chicken Dinner Road". Only in America.

In the OR high plains, we looked down a valley and it looked just like a scene from "Bonanza". We expected to see Hoss and Little Joe come riding along.

Eastern OR has a lot of small ground squirrels or marmots living in the rocks along the roads. They would constantly scurry across the road in front of us. It was like they were hiding in the rocks playing chicken with the cars. "Here comes another car. See if you can make it across the road in front of them at the last minute." Fortunately, we never hit one. They are pretty fast.

Coming into Bend OR, we suddenly realized that what we thought were white clouds were actually the snow covered peaks of mountains and volcanos. Magnificent."

A real first-hand report from the rally road to Seattle!

Aunt Pam continues to have so many friends come to say goodbye. It's wonderful to see so many people whose lives she has touched in some way. Friends from one of the patient groups she has worked with, the Hereditary Angioedema Association - HAEA, talked about how they would not have had the success in research into the disease, medications approved, insurance coverage secured, and awareness increased, had it not been for the work Pam did for them and with them. She helped them save lives, and that's amazing. And it's just one of the groups she worked with over the years!

Some friends from New York came and even brought their dogs! That was really fun. Uncle Chris says he needs a bigger refrigerator because everyone brings food. Dodger managed to steal a big piece of cheese off a platter sitting on the kitchen island. He got yelled at, but said it was worth it. If Aunt Pam knew, she would probably laugh, but pretend to be mad at Dodger.

Lots of Jamestown people are stopping in, too, and it's good to see so many familiar faces. Leslie, our pet sitter, took me, Finn, Dodger and Monty to the park. We had a lot of fun running around, and riding in Leslie's car together. She is a good friend to Aunt Pam, and to us dogs.

Tim and Peg and the rest of the rally stay in Oregon for the next to the last day of the TransAmerica, as they will drive from Bend to Newberg. More, then!"

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA Jamestown FiSH

  6/14/18  : "  Today, Tim and Peg in the '57 Chevy Bel Air drove from Park City, Utah to Boise, Idaho. It was a very lo...
06/15/2018

6/14/18 : " Today, Tim and Peg in the '57 Chevy Bel Air drove from Park City, Utah to Boise, Idaho. It was a very long drive! But Drive4StageIV is sticking with it - driving for Aunt Pam and all those with metastatic breast cancer. Peg reported that the route was only scheduled to be 30 minutes longer than yesterday, even though it was 130 more miles than yesterday's drive. It turned in to a very long day, 11+ hours, with some trouble thrown in.

Leaving the hotel, the rally embarked on a drive that seemed pretty much straight up! Without all the switchbacks the car had driven in earlier climbs, it seemed to be doing okay - until it just quit. Tim coasted to the side of the road to safety. He looked at the engine, and thought there might be a problem with the starter. He put his overalls on, jacked up the car, then the sweeps (the mechanics traveling with the rally) arrived.

Together, Tim and the sweeps decided the transmission fluid and the fuel line had gotten too hot in the drastic climb. They decided to tow the Chevy to the top of the pass, then see if it had cooled enough to start. And it worked! Aunt Peg and Uncle Tim were driving again!

We heard from Peg and Tim as they were driving through the Bonneville Salt Flats. Peg said it was pretty desolate. West of Great Salt Lake in Utah, the Bonneville Salt Flats are 30,000 acres in the northwestern part of the state. They are 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, a hard, dense white salt crust. Many land speed records have been set there.

Part of the day they drove into Nevada - another new state for the rally cars! There are lots of casinos there, and lots of traffic.

The rally day ended in Boise, Idaho. Most people who don't live there say boy-ZEE, but those from around there say it's more correctly pronounced BOY-see. They like it when you say it right.

Aunt Pam continues to rest comfortably at home. Her oxygen helps her breathe. We got to visit again today, and lots of her other friends are stopping in. Uncle Chris has to make sure there aren't too many people there at one time. She needs to sleep a lot, but she is happy to have people talk to her. Today Dodger, Finn, Monty and I got to play with Cody in the yard a little bit. Dodger, Finn and I enjoyed watching out the windows of the den for squirrels and birds. That's fun!

Next, the rally and Aunt Peg and Uncle Tim head for another new state - Oregon! More from them and from Jamestown, RI then!"

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA

  6/13/18  : "  All the dogs are back together again! Actually, Finn and Dodger are with their Mom and Dad in their hous...
06/14/2018

6/13/18 : " All the dogs are back together again! Actually, Finn and Dodger are with their Mom and Dad in their house, and I'm with my mom and dad in our house, but we're all in Rhode Island!

Aunt Pam got home from the hospital today, and has a special bed in the first floor den. She can look out the windows and see Narragansett Bay, and enjoy the beautiful green trees outside her windows. When we went to visit, Monty was there with his dad, Don! It was great to see them. Aunt Pam's mom Pat was there, too, but not little Cody; he was with his friend and puppy trainer, Wally. Colin was there, too. (Pam and Chris' Colin, not my mom and dad's Colin.) It was great to see everyone!

Aunt Pam was glad to see us, and my mom spent time sitting and talking with her, while my dad visited with Uncle Chris. It is good to be home. They will have lots and lots of people visiting this week and next, all sorts of friends and family to come talk to Aunt Pam, help in whatever way they can, and remind us all how many people Aunt Pam has helped in her life. It will be fun to see all those people who love Aunt Pam like we do.

Pat and my mom talked about how terrible it is when metastatic cancer patients run out of treatment options, like Aunt Pam has. Metavivor is trying to change that, and our team driving the rally is helping to tell people about the need for more research into treatment options, and to raise more money for research.

Drive4StageIV was on the road today! The Chevy Bel Air, driven by Tim and navigated by Peg, started at 8:30 AM, heading to Park City, Utah. My mom looked out the window and saw them driving down the street!

Right out of town, they hit the desert. The first town they came to was Dinosaur City. What fun Finn, Dodger and I could have had with those old bones! Lunch was at a convenience store and it was very hot. Peg said lots of people were standing under the only tree, hoping for a little cool shade, just like the cattle do.

In the town of Altamont, all sorts of town's people showed up to see the rally cars. They said the newspaper had lots of stories about the rally coming to town. Peg said it was fun talking to them, and more people learned about Drive4StageIV!

As they were driving, they went past a sign that said "No Hunting in the Cemetery". There must be a good story there.

Uncle Tim reports that they never went above 3,000 RPM, and 60 MPH, and they still arrived first at the hotel in Park City! The car ran really well through the desert, and even climbed a 10,000 foot pass without any problems. That is great news!

All the rally mechanics, marshals, and participants are sending their good thoughts to Aunt Pam and Uncle Chris. I hope they can feel that caring!

Tomorrow the rally drives to another state - Idaho! It will be another long drive, so be careful, everyone!"

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA

  6/12/18  : "  "Today was a rest day in Aspen, but we had a lot to do, since our plans have changed.Aunt Pam received s...
06/13/2018

6/12/18 : " "Today was a rest day in Aspen, but we had a lot to do, since our plans have changed.

Aunt Pam received some hard news from her medical team. Her last treatment option has stopped working, and nearly 3 years after her Stage 4 diagnosis, she will be released from the hospital into hospice care. So my mom and dad, and I, will leave the rally to go back to Rhode Island to be with Aunt Pam, Uncle Chris, Finn and Dodger. We fly there tomorrow.

But the rally continues and so will Drive4StageIV! Tim will drive the Chevy and Peg will navigate. They should have a good time, and they'll keep telling the Drive4StageIV story.

My mom and dad talked to a lot of the rally people and everyone is on Team Pam. Tony - one of the mechanics, told Tim they would make sure the Chevy comes across the finish line even if they have to tow it across!

The Ford will stay in Aspen, at a friend's house, until we can send it back to Rhode Island.

Aunt Pam wanted to drive this rally to help people learn about metastatic breast cancer and the need for additional funding for research. Drive4StageIV has done and is doing that!

Aspen is a nice city. It's very dog friendly, and a beautiful Colorado location. We walked all over! Tim got the transmission fluid changed in the Chevy, and he and Peg will be starting first tomorrow! They have a long day, finishing after 6:30 PM in Utah. I'm sure it will be an interesting day for them, and I can't wait to hear all about it! We'll say goodbye to Willie, too. He'll be returning the rental car in Boulder, CO and will visit people he knows there.

And I get to see Aunt Pam and Uncle Chris tomorrow!"

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA

  6/11/18 Pam King: "  Today we arrived in Aspen! It wasn't an easy arrival. We decided this morning that with the condi...
06/12/2018

6/11/18 Pam King: " Today we arrived in Aspen! It wasn't an easy arrival. We decided this morning that with the condition of the Chevy, it would be better not to drive the rally route over Pike's Peak. So my dad and Tim in the Ford, and my mom, Peg and me in the Chevy, (and Willie in a rental car), left the hotel in Colorado Springs to head to U.S. Highway 24. Soon we were out of the city, and driving in the beautiful country. The air was nice and cool, and the car was running well. The Ford was right behind us, so we all were traveling together.

We started in Colorado Springs at an elevation of about 6,000 feet and ended in Aspen at about 8,000 feet. We climbed a lot of mountains to get there.

The mountains were beautiful, with snow up at the tops, wonderful pine trees, and some aspen. There was a great road that ran on and on, and the nice flat valley kept the Chevy from having problems. But every time we had to climb and drive the looping road, my mom had to downshift, and the car made a grumbling noise. Once she thought we were getting a v***r lock, but it cleared, and we kept going.

After about 2 1/2 hours of driving, we stopped in the little town of Twin Lakes. This place had an elevation of about 10,300 ft. There was no restaurant, so we went into a convenience store and bought snacks and cold drinks. I got to go in, too! The people were all very nice. I did a little hike with my mom, too.

Then we were back on the road, climbing, and climbing... There were lots of switchback roads, and the Chevy could barely make it above 20 miles per hour! Soon we were at an altitude of 11,400 feet! And the Chevy started making a choking sound, with no fuel getting to the engine. My mom tried shifting into second gear, and nothing happened! We kept going, but soon we pulled over to the side of the road and the car died - v***r lock! The Ford was right behind us.

We sat for about 5 minutes with the hood open to cool the engine, then tried again. We barely made it 1000 yards up the road, when it v***r locked again.

Uncle Tim said the transmission fluid was burning, and wanted to drive it a little to experience the symptoms of the drive. So my mom took me out of the Chevy, and we got into the passenger seat of the Ford. The Chevy took off, and we followed. We went around a corner and there was the Chevy by the side of the road again. We all waited for a while, and my mom hiked up the hillside with me. Then Uncle Tim walked off and came back with two snowballs! They tasted great, and Mom rubbed me all over with the snow. That felt wonderful!

We decided that maybe the Chevy needed more help, so my mom and dad and I figured we could drive the 25 miles down into Aspen, and get some. We left Aunt Peg and Uncle Tim with the Chevy, and we drove in the Ford. But before we could get down into Aspen, we had to climb the rest of the way over Independence Pass - more the 12,000 feet in elevation!

The Ford made it, but it was making v***r lock noises too. But my dad down-shifted, and made it around the tight turns in the road, and soon we were headed down into Aspen. We pulled up in front of the hotel. Boy, as much as I love sitting on my mom's lap, it was hot in the Ford without a roof, and it really smelled like gas and burning clutch! Riding on my shelf in the Chevy is way more comfortable and it has great breezes!

Once in the hotel, my mom's phone rang! It was Peg, but they had a terrible connection, Eventually on the third try they could hear each other, and Peg said they were almost in Aspen. After letting the Chevy cool for about 45 minutes, they were able to make it over the pass, and down the other side. But Tim didn't slow down much in the turns, and Peg was really glad to climb out of the car when they arrived.

Tim has an appointment with a garage tomorrow morning, and he and my dad will figure things out for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, back in Rhode Island, my Aunt Pam went to the doctor, who wanted her to check in to the hospital. So she is there tonight, getting checked out, and hopefully getting treated to feel better. My mom has been sending her and Uncle Chris some of the pictures you see here, and she was smiling at the car stories. I hope she gets to home to Finn and Dodger soon! Having metastatic breast cancer means spending some time away from your dogs when you have to be in the hospital to keep you from feeling so bad. Wouldn't it be great if some researcher could figure out a way to make metastatic breast cancer a chronic disease instead of a terminal one? That is the question Metavivor asks every single day.

Tomorrow we will stay in Aspen, and hope to figure out the Chevy's problems. We will still have more elevation changes ahead, as we drive into Utah on Wednesday."

Don’t miss the UPDATES and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/2s4oehg. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Twitter . Learn more HERE: www.drive4stageiv.com! METAvivor Research and Support Inc. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project Endurance Rally Association - ERA

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