Doctors join together in fight against cancer

James Armitage, M.D., left, and Byers Shaw, M.D., ride in the Sept. 7 bike ride.

Two of UNMC’s leading physicians — Byers (Bud) Shaw, M.D., and James Armitage, M.D. — rode for a combined 73 miles Sept. 7 in the Ride Fore Recovery fund-raising event for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Dr. Shaw, professor and chairman of UNMC’s department of surgery, rode 61 miles. An avid cyclist, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma July 25. Dr. Armitage, dean of the College of Medicine, met Dr. Shaw’s challenge to ride in the bike ride — cycling 12 miles. He is Dr. Shaw’s oncologist.

“We’ve been very pleased with the support of employees at UNMC and NHS,” said Tom Thompson, the University of Nebraska Foundation’s director of development for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “We’ve raised nearly $7,000, and hope to reach our goal of $10,000 as we continue to receive gifts.”

Dmitry Oleynikov, M.D., left, and James Armitage, M.D.

Funds raised benefit the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center and also further UNMC’s participation as a sponsor of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society event.

Donations are still being accepted. To contribute, send a check payable to the University of Nebraska Foundation (denote Ride Fore Recovery in the memo) to 8712 W. Dodge Road, Ste. 100, Omaha, NE 68114. Donations also may be sent to Thompson via campus mail (ZIP 6805).

Byers Shaw, M.D., and Marco Vasquez, NHS perfusionist.