Today, we check in with Dave Fleischer who’s just completed his Journey of Hope in memory of his daughter, Sarah, who passed away in 2018 from a horrible cancer, cholangiocarcinoma.

In this episode, Dave reports in from Maine after driving more than 15,000 miles as he crisscrossed the country and visited 19 communities called Hope, numerous cholangiocarcinoma caregivers, patients and families.

A major goal of the trip, which took Dave to all 48 contiguous states, was to raise money to support research into Cholangiocarcinoma and to spread awareness and bring hope to patients, caregivers, and others along the way. At more than $50,000, exceeded the goal of $45,000 – and more donations are still being accepted.

The road trip, in a car with a specially designed wrap promoting cholangiocarcinoma awareness, included stops at hospitals and healthcare institutions that specialize in research and treatment of the disease, plus the get-togethers with patients, caregivers and healthcare providers who were important in Sarah's life. In today’s episode, Dave reports on more of these meetings, some that proved to be especially meaningful to him. One such meetup was with Tom Lietzke, a 14-year survivor of Cholangiocarcinoma, and who prepared the image used for this episode.

Cholangiocarcinoma starts in the bile duct and is an incredibly deadly cancer, which afflicts about 8,000 people in the United States each year. Most of its victims are 65 or older, but Sarah was only 31 when she was diagnosed. She passed away at age 35.

The trip was supported by the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, which made the specially designed Honda SUV available for the journey. Sponsors were Incyte, Ken Garff Honda, QED Therapeutics, Servier, Taiho Oncology, Welch’s Fruit Snacks and Zymeworks. Tee shirts commemorating the trip are available by clicking on the store at https:cholangiocarcinoma.org.

And now, let’s talk with Dave Fleischer as he reports in after his sixth and final week on the Journey of Hope.