From Patient to Healthcare Hero: Carey is Riding for Research
Carey Hudson's life has been deeply touched by cancer: she's been a patient, an oncology nurse, and she lost a parent to the disease. So, when she heard about Bristol Myers Squibb's Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer (C2C4C) ride, she knew it was a way to pay it forward for those impacted by cancer. Carey is now gearing up to cycle more than 225 miles as part of the annual cross-country ride that raises funds for game-changing cancer research through the V Foundation.
“You May Be Out of School for a While”
As a healthy 13-year-old, Carey’s parents were perplexed when a simple sneeze caused her to throw out her back. A doctor’s visit quickly escalated to other referrals, including oncology, where they received a shocking diagnosis: diffuse B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The back pain was caused by a mass pressing against her spine, so within weeks, she was having surgery to remove the tumor and beginning cancer treatments.
“I didn’t know what it all meant, I was busy being 13 – I only knew what MTV was,” recalls Carey. “I just thought, ‘When will I go back to school?’ and I remember the doctors said, ‘… you may be out of school for a while.’”
Carey was treated using a research protocol developed by pediatric oncologists from around the country. Since her cancer type was most often seen in adults, she was in a unique position that required a customized plan for a teenage patient. More than 30 years since her diagnosis, the research group still follows her health and uses this data to continue improving care for new young patients.
About one year after her initial diagnosis, Carey achieved remission and was able to resume life as an active teenager, a testament to research in action. Now as an adult in the healthcare profession for two decades, Carey continues to see the impact of research on patient care and outcomes every day.
Carey at her nursing school graduation
A Career in Oncology
On the other side of her diagnosis, Carey knew she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, discovering a passion for pediatric oncology.
“I remember thinking, ‘Who did I spend most of my time with when I was in the hospital?’ The nurses. They sit on your bedside, they give you medicine. They explain what it’s doing and what you’re feeling – that’s the person in the room with you day in and out.”
For the first six years of her nursing career, Carey worked with pediatric patients, sometimes staying in touch with the families as her young patients grew into thriving adults. She has since worked across a range of oncology specialties, seeing the progress first-hand and what this means for the future.
“There’s hope. There’s hope because of all the research, all the education. Many patients can make the treatment work with their life now,” said Carey. “With these advancements, there’s hope that you can have the life you’re supposed to have, rather than the life a diagnosis tells you that you should have.”
Riding for Research
With such a personal connection to the cause, Carey was thrilled to be selected for the 2025 Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride.
“The first time I touched a road bike was at the safety clinic hosted in March,” said Carey, who took on this challenge as a novice. “It was an emotional roller coaster in that first training session, wondering if I’m in over my head. But now I feel more comfortable with every ride.” She’s since logged hundreds of miles on roads, exploring new parts of her city along the way.
Carey will be riding alongside her team “Tour de Cure,” from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh in Segment 8 (of 9) in the cross-country relay that covers nearly 3,000 miles in total. The 100+ riders, all employees of Bristol Myers Squibb, spend months training and fundraising, with the goal of raising at least $1 million for cancer research through the V Foundation. For Carey, many patients, including her mom, are her driving motivators on the tough rides.
“My mother passed away from cancer and I think about her a lot,” she said. “I have my mom’s voice in the back of my head saying, ‘You said you were going to do it, so you’re going to!”
For her mother, her patients, and even her younger self, Carey is proud to support the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Through her efforts, along with her fellow riders and a generous match from Bristol Myers Squibb, the 2025 C2C4C ride will help fund all-star scientists who are on the frontlines of cancer research making a proven, positive impact every day.
