Ashley Hoben can’t wait to volunteer at her fourth Closer to Free ride.
“Every year I get to see my own doctor come across the finish line and give him a hug and say thank you,” she said.
Hobem met Dr. Howard Hochster following colon cancer surgery four and a half years ago. He is the head of gastrointestinal oncology at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.
“We gave her some additional preventative chemo,” Dr. Hochster said, “which she went through really well and she remains cured at this time.”
When Dr. Hochster began his career in medical oncology more than 30 years ago, he said there was only one colon cancer drug.
“Now we have six chemotherapy drugs and four targeted drugs and biologics,” he said, “and people are living three times as long as they used to.”
This year Dr. Hochster is riding in his sixth Closer to Free, which raises money for critical research at the hospital and Yale Cancer Center.
Local
“Only through efforts like this that help us raise the unrestricted funds,” he said, “that we can devote to the areas that we really need it.”
Dr. Hochster is part of Team MedONC, which is made up of about 30 medical oncologists at the hospital. The highlight of ride day is seeing cancer survivors cross the finish line, he said.
“In a way the ride is really dedicated to them,” Dr. Hochster said, “I think our whole theme of closer is to free is getting past your cancer and getting back to your normal life.”
Hoben continues to visit the hospital for regular check-ups, but two years ago, “we found ourselves back here again unexpectedly,” she said.
Doctors diagnosed her now 13-year-old son Colin with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He’s been in remission since January.
“Thank you to all of the wonderful people who have helped us over the past four and a half years, basically save our lives,” Hoben said.
For Colin’s Make a Wish trip, the family recently travelled to the original Lego factory in Denmark.
NBC Connecticut is connecting you to this year’s Closer to Free on Saturday September 10.
