About Me

Profile

About: Hi there! My name is Kayla Shapiro and I am a Junior at UT. I am a Biology major on the Pre-Physicians Assistant track. I could not be more excited and honored to be a member of the Texas 4000 2018 Team.

My friends and family mean the world to me. My idea of a perfect day would be sitting out by a lake, eating BBQ, and listening to good music with everyone I love. I have a cat named Marge. She is simultaneously the brightest part of my day and my biggest annoyance. In my perfect day she would also be out by the lake, probably trying to steal food off the grill.

Why I Ride

April 14, 2010 my mom was diagnosed with high-grade myxofibrosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue cancer of the muscle. The only knowledge I had of cancer was from my grandma who had died of breast cancer complications years before I was born. Grandma Bernice was a loving wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and friend. She was in her 8th year of remission when her doctors discovered it had metastasized in her ovaries. Grandma Bernice went to every checkup, completed every preventative measure, and did everything right. She was a victim of inadequate technology. She fought cancer with beauty, dignity, and grace; the same way she lived her life. I wish every day that I could have met her. When my mother was diagnosed, I was heartbroken. More than that, I was angry. My mother is amazing. She has more drive in her pinky finger than most people do in their entire body. She is fiercely kind and shows love to everyone she meets. She is a horrible gossip, but most of all, she is my best friend. She didn’t deserve cancer, no one does.
After 25 rounds of radiation her tumor was removed. It had continued to grow throughout the treatment and was close to her femur. She then went through six rounds of chemotherapy. At this point I had given up hope, but this is where you see just how amazing my mom is. Not only did she never falter in her hope and faith but she continued to reassure me that she would be ok. Throughout her treatments, she would remind me that the real way to beat cancer isn’t by going into remission, it’s by refusing to let it take your joy. We are incredibly blessed this past January to celebrate her 6th year in remission.
I ride with HOPE that medical miracles can save lives, with the determination to spread KNOWLEDGE from Texas to Alaska, and with a heart dedicated to CHARITY and raising money to combat this illness.