Allie Daneman

11/28/1972 — 04/05/2011

The beginning of my late son’s journey with metastatic melanoma was the day of his twins’ births. We were in the hospital, and he asked me to check a lymph node in his neck because I know a lot about medical stuff having been involved in the medical world for many years of my life. I felt his lymph node and got very scared because I knew it was very serious.

Six weeks later we got the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma Stage III,  all from a small mole he had for many years that was under his goatee that he didn’t see change. The rest is history. He was given 9 months to live, yet he was a tough guy with a huge spirit. And he had me and Valerie Guild behind him, and we turned every rock we could find for clinical trials for him. He was an amazing fighter and spirit. He did everything. The treatments and clinical trials and gamma knife and surgeries were painful. His melanoma and mets never let up. It was devastating to him and to me his mom and all who loved him.

He left his three children who loved and adored him. He was my only child, and I adored him. It has been devastating, yet I am getting great professional help to help me with my grief. Allie made it 8 years with his 9-month prognosis. He was an avid and passionate motorcycle rider, and it is so upsetting and sad to see guys his age on bikes now. He lost his life so early … so unfair. All through this horrible time, Allie just kept his spirit, never being a victim … so respectable. My son was a real hero. He did say he could always master everything, yet his melanoma just laughed in his face … made me cry … yet he fought it with all he had. I know one thing … we turned every rock to fight it. He was in the battleground.

Valerie Guild was an angel to us.  Allie would always want her to know how much he thanks her. In the end of his life, we had a wonderful week together when he thanked me a ton for tons of stuff, yet he would want me to mention Val here. And I thank Val a ton, too, for such great support for me too. My son comes to me at times. I intend to give all I can financially, and some of my energy too, to find a cure for this beast in my wonderful late son’s name.

Patricia Daneman Amster, mother