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Young Cancer Survivor From Ridgefield Pedals To Help Others

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. -- No one expects to hear the words, “You have cancer.” Especially not at 27. But that’s exactly what happened to Paul Fitzpatrick, who grew up in Ridgefield and is back in town raising his family after a stint in Manhattan.

Paul Fitzpatrick of Ridgefield, shown with his wife, Kate, and daughters Kelly (right) and Nora, will ride in Saturday's CT Challenge.

Paul Fitzpatrick of Ridgefield, shown with his wife, Kate, and daughters Kelly (right) and Nora, will ride in Saturday's CT Challenge.

Photo Credit: Shannon Cappocci Photography

On Saturday, Fitzpatrick will ride with other cyclists beginning in Westport and into Fairfield to raise money for the CT Challenge and its cancer survivorship programs.

It was several months after being diagnosed with a rare form of a rare disease called Cushing’s, which affects the endocrine system and had wreaked havoc with his previously stellar health. “I played lacrosse and rowed crew in college. I’ve never so much as tried a cigarette. This was not something I ever thought was possible,” he said.

“I was living in Manhattan and had access to some of the best doctors in the world. But it’s a scary thing when those doctors aren’t sure what’s wrong with you or how to fix it.”

It took nine months of testing, scans, and various medicines before his team of doctors at Mount Sinai eventually found a cancerous tumor. The doctors were confident that surgery to remove half of his left lung followed by chemotherapy would cure both diseases but, like most doctors who treat young adult cancer patients, did not consider his fertility a priority.

“They were just concerned with saving my life,” he said. “The surgery didn’t really frighten me. It’s a pretty debilitating surgery, and even with all of the pain and the long recovery associated with it, I was much more worried about having to go through chemo.”

After surgery and six months of oral chemo with relatively few side effects (no hair loss, no missed work), Fitzpatrick has been in remission for five years. He and his wife, Kate Denoyer Fitzpatrick, also of Ridgefield, are now the parents of two young daughters. Kelly Rose was born on March 11, 2011, exactly one year after his last chemo treatment. Nora Grace followed in February of last year.

“I’m still trying to figure out what exactly motivated me to sign up for a competition like this, but it was mainly to prove that I could do it – that nowadays cancer isn’t as devastating as it used to be,” said Fitzpatrick, a lifelong athlete and former captain of his Ridgefield lacrosse team. “I also want people to realize that although we’ve gotten better at treating the disease, we still need to support survivors and their families as they move forward rebuilding their new lives. CT Challenge can help with that.”

An avid cyclist who rode 50 miles and raised over $8,000 for the LiveStrong Challenge in Blue Bell, Pa., in 2012, Fitzpatrick is excited to be raising funds this time around for a cause closer to home. The CT Challenge facility in Southport is the only freestanding facility for cancer survivors in the country.

Readers can support Fitzpatrick with a donation through his fundraising page. Click here to make a donation.

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