Jeremie Smith currently serves as the Senior Academic Program Services Specialist in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University College of Arts & Sciences.

He supports Pelotonia’s efforts to raise money for cancer research at The James Cancer Hospital because he has seen firsthand how cancer research funding reaches patients and impacts families.

“I feel indebted to those who have contributed to the incredible advances in understanding and treating cancer. I have been proud to raise almost $10,000 since becoming involved with Pelotonia. I hope I can encourage people to support this research by sharing our family’s story.

In 2016, my wife, Maggie, and I were overjoyed to find out that we were expecting our first child. This elation was replaced with terror when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later.

I remember sitting in my living room the day we heard this frightening news, feeling like my entire world was coming apart at the seams. We felt like a Category 5 hurricane was blowing through our lives and all we could do was hold on, white-knuckled, and hope that modern medicine would prevent our love story from being cut short.

Maggie’s team of doctors at the Mills Breast Cancer Center in Urbana, Illinois, collaborated on an ambitious treatment plan that included a mastectomy surgery in May of that year, 12 weeks of chemotherapy during her pregnancy, plus another round of chemo and second mastectomy soon after delivery, all carefully planned out with the goal of saving her life while minimizing the risk to our unborn child. This treatment plan was made possible by exponential advancements made in cancer research, particularly for breast cancer, over the last several decades.”

“Maggie’s multi-faceted and arduous treatment plan was made much more complicated by the necessity of constant monitoring of the health of our baby. After her first mastectomy, we spent endless hours that summer in the chemotherapy infusion room, where Maggie received just enough of the powerful chemotherapy drugs to kill the cancer cells but doled out carefully to minimize the risk to our unborn child.

Right alongside her cancer treatment, Maggie was completing her PhD work in Microbiology at the University of Illinois. She defended her dissertation in August, radiant in her third trimester of pregnancy and beautifully bald from chemo, but living the life she chose for herself. On September 14, 2016, we welcomed our healthy son, Isaac, into the world. That day, holding my wife’s hand and looking into my son’s eyes for the first time, I remember thinking that I would never be able to fully express how grateful I was to have them both by my side.

Today, almost 10 years later, Maggie’s active treatment is complete and she is cancer free. We moved to Columbus, Ohio, in August of 2017, and the demands of parenthood occupies much of our attention. Maggie is a Program Specialist for Ohio State’s Department of Microbiology, where she teaches undergraduates and mentors graduate students. OSU is the third campus we have shared. In March, 2021, we welcomed twin boys to our family, making it a full house of three rowdy boys.

Maggie and I both feel a responsibility to find meaningful ways to give back and express our gratitude for all of the countless people who helped with her treatment, and who supported us through this difficult time. Participating in Pelotonia provides an opportunity to raise directly-targeted cancer research funds as well as awareness, while joining a community of people in celebrating life, love and cycling!”