From Trials to Trails: Haley Heaviland Supports Audaxity to Fuel the Cancer Research that Saved Her Family
Haley Heaviland, ALB, CCRP, knows what it means to hear the words, “you have cancer.” She also knows how it feels to sit beside someone you love hearing them too.
She’s not just a survivor: she’s the daughter of one, the sister of two, and a colleague to hundreds of clinical research professionals working to improve outcomes for people facing cancer every day. As a Clinical Research Manager in the CTO, Haley’s life has become inseparable from the pursuit of better options, stronger support, and faster answers. And now, she’s bringing that purpose to Audaxity, the MCW Cancer Center’s bold new bike ride that helps accelerate lifesaving cancer research.
Cancer has touched nearly every part of Haley’s family. Her middle sister was diagnosed with thyroid cancer as a teenager and went through multiple surgeries and radioactive iodine treatments before finally being declared cancer-free 16 years later. Her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 64 and received surgery and radiation, eventually continuing his care at the Cancer Center. Now 81 years old and cancer-free, he’ll be riding alongside Haley in Audaxity as part of their team, The Tumor-nators.
Haley’s own diagnosis came in 2014. At 38, she was told she had endometrial cancer. It was caught early, thanks to an MCW physician who refused to overlook her symptoms. “They moved fast, but made sure I was well informed every step of the way,” she says. Within a month, she was cancer-free and surrounded by support. “The CTO could not have been more there for me. That’s something I’ll never forget.”
Since then, her connection to this work has only deepened. Her oldest sister recently joined the CTO, and her middle sister—now facing a second cancer, this time breast—has participated in multiple clinical trials at the Cancer Center. Haley says those experiences shaped how her family views research: “We all had questions at first, but the trials team really took the time to explain things and address concerns in a way that felt pressure-free. By the time the second study came along, we had total confidence in her care team.”
For Haley, Audaxity is a natural extension of that trust and purpose. It’s a way to move research forward, and to do it as a community. “The scientists here have so many promising ideas,” she said. “But getting them from the lab to the patient takes money, and a lot of it. Events like Audaxity help close that gap.”
She breaks it down with striking clarity:
“One of the trials my team supports costs about $10,000 per patient. The top five ride teams have already raised over $120,000. That’s potentially 12 patients who get access to something they otherwise wouldn’t.”
On ride day, Haley will be helping lead the CTO rest stop. She wants it to be more than a water break—she wants it to be a reminder that even if riders don’t see the people behind the research, they’re there, working hard to improve lives. “I want them to feel the energy and heart of our team. To know we’re out here cheering them on and pushing toward the same goal.”
To colleagues who are unsure about getting involved, she offers this: “It’s easy to feel like you’ve given enough. But this isn’t about your job. It’s about your people. It’s about telling patients and families: we see you, and we’re in this with you.”
And from Haley and her family: “To Drs. Uyar, Cobb, Currey, Kamaraju, Jacobsohn, See, Maas, and all the staff in the Courage, Hope, Life, Breast, Radiation, and Physical Therapy Clinics—thank you. We’re here today because of you.”
