The Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation

It has been over a year since Sue was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), a treatable, but incurable form of rare cancer that started in her tongue, but had already spread to other parts of her body.

While we are in a much better place now than we were a year ago at this time, Sue's fight is far from over. 

Sue is currently on a clinical trial at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Trials like these are funded through generous contributions to organizations like the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF).

The ACCRF was an invaluable resource to us when we were first diagnosed and has continued to be a tremendous source of information as we evaluate treatment options. Over the last year, we have gotten to know the founders, Jeff and Marnie Kaufman, and have been amazed by what they have accomplished since starting this organization more than a decade ago. We are forever grateful that Jeff and Marnie, along with countless doctors, nurses and researchers have dedicated their lives to this extremely rare cancer.

We are raising money for the ACCRF to further advance the treatment options available, specifically clinical trials for targeted gene therapy and immunotherapy, so Sue and others living with ACC will have the best possible outcome. Many of you have generously donated to the Brave Like Gabe 5k in Sue's honor. All the proceeds from that event go directly to the ACCRF. We can't thank you enough.

For those that would like to learn more about our story and the ACCRF, please watch the short video attached to this page. If you haven't done so already, please consider supporting this wonderful organization.

Contributions can be made through this website or sent directly to the following address:

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation

P.O. Box 442

Needham, MA 02494

If you wish to donate in honor of Sue, please include her name.

With hope and gratitude,

The Morse Family

This October marks the 10 year anniversary of Steven’s passing. Steven was diagnosed in May of 2000 with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), a rare form of cancer that attacks mainly the upper respiratory tract. During his ten year battle, Steven underwent  multiple surgeries, 84 sessions of radiation and 3 separate sessions of chemotherapy.

Because ACC is such a rare form of cancer, affecting only ten thousand people each year, it is not supported by the American Cancer Society. Funding for this type of cancer is incredibly low, and without aid from foundations, families are burdened with the high medical bills. These expenses are often very high due to the unknown nature of this type of cancer. Currently there is no known cure for ACC and no affective treatments. 

Steven approached his illness with determination, putting his full trust in his doctors and medical science. He embraced his barriers with laughter, even dressing up as a pirate for Halloween one year, using his eyepatch as the perfect opportunity.  

During his life Steven was extremely charitable and we continue to be inspired by his strength and goodwill. In his memory, we are raising money to help families who are living through the trials and hardships of ACC. Through this fundraiser, we hope to follow in Steven's footsteps and carry on his positive impact on the world

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More information about The Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation: Hope is a Powerful Ally. And Research is the Angel of Hope. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer of secretory glands, typically originating in the head and neck region. The Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF) supports research into adenoid cystic carcinoma that will accelerate the development of improved therapies and a cure for the disease.

At twelve years old, I watched my mom pass away on June 27th, 2017 at 8:02 a.m. in my arms. Since then, I have been trying to spread awareness of this rare, malignant disease with no known cure from which she suffered.  More information about The Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation: Hope is a Powerful Ally. And Research is the Angel of Hope. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer of secretory glands, typically originating in the head and neck region. The Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF) supports research into adenoid cystic carcinoma that will accelerate the development of improved therapies and a cure for the disease.

My life changed forever on May 21st, 2014. Here is the story behind the 'stache.

October 2008 - I was a sophomore in high school. One day, my Mom and Dad sat both me and my sister down to talk about something. This wasnt necessarily anything out of the ordinary, we are very open with each other so I was just assuming it was another time to talk about something I had done wrong - I was a pretty big turd in high school. In reality, they sat us down to talk about my father's health and to tell us that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Talk about a complete 180! At the time, things werent too concerning. ACC (Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma) is known to be a slow developing disease & doctors were not too concerned of the rate of growth and things of that nature. I was initially very scared, but then like any kid, I felt comfort in hearing my parents tell me everything will be ok. 

January 2009 - My fathers had his Parotid Gland removed. His ACC started in the Parotid Gland (the gland in your face that creates saliva). This is common among ACC patients as the disease is typically grouped with other oral cancers. To put things into perspective, only about 1,200 people per year are diagnosed with ACC - there are well over 1,000,000 people per year diagnosed with cancer every year. There is not much research or treatment options available as there is quite honestly not enough cases to study.

March 2012 - After he had the Parotid removed things naturally took their course & slowly the cancer started to metastasize to other places. This is when my Mom and Dad had another sit down meeting with my sister and I. This one was very different from the first meeting in 2008 as he and the doctors knew things were not looking up. Spots had moved to his lungs & they decided to have those removed later in the year in August.

October 2013 - Slowly and steadily you could see his health declining, but the man never lost his sense of humor or his outlook on life - I try to take that with me. He was getting ready to try a clinical trial to help support the ACC research. As mentioned before, there arent many cases of ACC diagnosed each year, so he wanted to do his part and help with that. One of the things he had to do to get approved for the trial was get a full body CT Scan. This was not a problem until the results came back. They identified a large tumor in the frontal lobe of his brain that required surgery immediately. This was out of the ordinary as he did not show any symptoms of a brain tumor. As you can imagine, he kept his gameface on and did not show any negativity. After the surgery, he had a large bandage on his head that he called his "cereal bowl". He also had a hole in his head/skull that he called his blowhole. Im telling you folks, he was an absolute goon.



May 21st, 2014 - My father passed away on this day. I remember the morning we got the phone call like it was yesterday. I decided to sleep with my Mom that night as it was the first and only night she stayed at home - every other night was spent at hospice with my Dad. We were woken up very early around 4 am by my dog Rusty (who  my Dad & I picked out when we moved to Germantown). He started whining uncontrollably and would not stop until we hugged and consoled him like a baby. A few hours later, we got the call. It was a family decision, Mark included, to send him to hospice. We were able to spend a lot of time with him there and he was at peace and not in pain. There were many things that happened during his 7 day stay in hospice that I will never forget. I was able to ask him many questions such as "What is true happiness?". In typical Mark fashion, he compared happiness to pizza. He said "Each slice represents an aspect or priority in your life. When you fill your pizza box with quality slices, you reach true happiness". One supernatural thing that happened was when his brother, Kerry, was on the way to Memphis to come see him. My Dad explained to us that he was in a deep sleep could see a bright light. He felt a force pulling him up & he was holding the hand of an angel. The angel told him to wait until his brother got here to say good bye before he left. He woke up and my mom was holding his hand. From that point on, he called her his angel. He is definitely her angel now.

So why the mustache...When he was a young buck back in his early- mid 20's, the man used to rock some pretty serious lip luggage. I dont know if it was a joke, but knowing him, it was. When he passed, I tried to think of ways to give back to ACCOI (Organization)/ACCRF (Research Fund). I was going through old pictures saw his stache & I knew what had to be done from there. See below & try to keep the laughs down:


This will be the last year for Mustaches in May so I am asking that we raise $4,000 to make our 3 year fundraising total to hit $10,000! The money raised will go towards the Research Foundation that supports this rare disease.

Thank you all for your support now & in the past. It has meant the world to my family & I. 

So now...I mustache you a question...What will you do today to help change the world?