Ride Hard Breathe Easy

It started with a promise. Kathleen Matthews was nearing the end of her 9-month battle with lung cancer, when her son, John, promised Kathleen he “would do something”. During Kathleen’s illness, the Matthews family learned about the challenges lung cancer patients and caregivers faced. Why does the #1 cancer killer in the world receive so little funding compared to other cancers? Why isn’t there testing readily available to detect it early? And why is it a disease that brings such a stigma? In 2017, that “something” turned into a 2017 cross-country bike ride, named Ride Hard Breathe Easy (RHBE), to raise money and awareness for lung cancer. Two years later, John and a passionate group of volunteers turned this ride into a nonprofit organization, one that has helped hundreds of patients and caregivers dealing with the financial stress of a lung cancer diagnosis. RHBE partners with Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Lung Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Einstein Medical Center, Lung Health Services, Crozer Health, and Dartmouth Medical Center to support their lung cancer patients. The impact has been significant. One of our partners said, “The relief you see is palpable. Our ability to help our patients literally makes them cry”. And one of the patients we helped said, "You all saved my life by providing me with a way to the hospital for my treatment." At Ride Hard Breathe Easy, we are honored to do our part, helping the most vulnerable people when they need it the most. Kathleen Matthews often referenced an old Irish saying that “Many Hands Make Light Work”. These words have become central to what we do, and help ensure that Mom’s wisdom, kindness, and love of life, continue to live every day through what we do at Ride Hard Breathe Easy.