KYLE RATTRAY

Cyclist, Fundraiser, Student and Survivor  

At age three, Kyle Rattray was diagnosed with Wilms' tumor, a cancer of the kidney that until the advent of chemotherapy in 1950 delivered a universal death sentence. Rattray underwent two years of treatment, periodically leaving his migrant farming community of Sunnyside, Washington for treatment in Seattle. The experience, which cured him, thrust his family into unfamiliar emotional terrain, which ultimately shaped his approach to life. Kyle's drive to cure others of the disease he once had has been paramount ever since.

Kyle chose his major at MIT — brain and cognitive sciences — as a steppingstone to reaching the goal, and he made his way to a cancer research lab for the same reason. Rattray jumped at the chance to research Wilms' tumor, which he has been doing for the past year and a half on a volunteer basis. Rattray, Prof. David Housman adds, reminds him of a former postgraduate student from the mid-1980s, who has since played a pivotal role in developing Gleevec, a treatment for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, which was fatal prior to Gleevec's discovery. "Kyle will do that, or something like it, in 15 years. He has the same drive and intuition, and they 're key to doing this work well."

In the 14 years since he was cured, Kyle has devoted his energies to an array of cancer-related causes. Every year since he was six, he has participated, often as a speaker, in numerous American Cancer Society (ACS) Relays for Life, charity events in which teams of people take turns doing laps around local parks and fairgrounds. Among the most successful fundraising efforts in the country — "they're fun, 24-hour parties," says Rattray, currently a Cambridge Relay for Life co-chair — the event raised $241 million nationally in 2001.

In 2003 Kyle and two friends, Taku Iida and George Mahowald embarked on a challenge that tested their endurance but never their commitment. With the goal of raising $25,000 for cancer research, the three cyclists left from Boston bound for Seattle, a distance of over 3,500 miles. With $10,000 in pledges before even leaving Boston, the road trip lasted 45 days and was a great success not only in terms of the money raised, but also the people met and the opportunity to demonstrate to others that cancer need not hold anyone back from their dreams.

The Rattray Clan is proud to have Kyle as one of its own. His values, commitment and generosity should serve as inspiration to all facing adversity and wanting to overcome it. The Rattray Clan Society salutes you Kyle. For those that want to see more on Kyle's journey, visit:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2003/biketrip/

Sources

Orna Feldman - Spectrum, MIT, Winter 2003.