40 years cancer free: Why Mike Dolder is shaving his head

Mike Dolder is the Director of Engineering for UC Santa Cruz’s Physical Planning, Development & Operations department (PPDO), which manages and oversees all physical planning, design and construction activities on campus. 

When Mike was only two years old, he was diagnosed with Stage IV Wilms tumor, a form of kidney cancer.  Clinical trials saved his life, and now he is giving back by shaving his head to raise awareness of, and money for, pediatric cancers. You can donate to his campaign here. 

Interview with Mike Dolder:

What is motivating you to shave your head for cancer this June? 

As a cancer survivor myself, I want to raise awareness for pediatric cancers.  I figured now is the time because last fall marked my fortieth year of being in remission from Stage IV cancer. 

A secondary reason I want to shave my head is to support Treehouse and all the genomics research we do at UC Santa Cruz.  As someone who grew up in Santa Cruz, I’ve witnessed a misperception surrounding the University.  Some locals really aren’t aware of all the hard sciences and the world class research that we do at UC Santa Cruz.  I want to raise awareness of the research and genomics work that we do on campus.

When were you diagnosed with cancer, and what helped you through it?

I was two and a half years old, so I was diagnosed at an early age.  I was diagnosed and treated at Stanford and Lucile Packard Hospitals, and was lucky to receive advanced treatments and medical care. 

I wouldn’t be here today without the clinical trials that were offered during the time that I was treated at Stanford. The research and clinical trials they do for pediatric cancers are extrapolated for adult cancers too, resulting in better treatments and outcomes for everyone.

Do you feel being a cancer survivor has influenced the way you live your life?

If it is not too much of a cliché, I really do try not to take things and people for granted and realize that every day is a gift.  I try to be positive and give back to others, both as a staff member at UCSC and a member of the community.

What is one thing you wish people knew about childhood cancer? 

Childhood cancer is a lifelong disease and it affects siblings and families as well.  When I say it is a lifelong disease, I mean that even when you are in remission, most childhood cancer survivors will have lifelong chronic health problems as a result of their treatments.  Some may not appear until 20+ years into remission, and that is just the lifelong nature of the disease. Although some survivors hide it well and have strong coping mechanisms, it is a lifelong disease and battle.

Why should people donate to pediatric cancer research?

Cancer is in the top five causes of death for children and adolescents. If you look at federal funding allocated for cancer research, less than 5% of federal funding goes towards pediatric cancers.  Even though it is a leading cause of death for our kids, there is a disproportionate amount of funding available.