Climbing for Dad
Siblings Amy and Chris Bucciarelli took to Africa’s highest peak to honor their father, Richard Bucciarelli.
Tears welled in her eyes as Amy Bucciarelli reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with her brother, Chris Bucciarelli, MD ’12. They had been waiting for this moment for months, ever since Amy, an art therapist for UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine, suggested they participate in the Climb For Cancer Foundation’s annual climb as a tribute to their father and to raise funds to combat the disease threatening his life.
Maria Belen Farias
Although Richard “Rick” Bucciarelli, MD, a longtime faculty member and former chair of the UF College of Medicine department of pediatrics, lost his battle with cancer in September, his family is grateful he was still with them in July to share in his children’s triumph over Africa’s highest peak via social media and a satellite phone.
Amy, who had never climbed a mountain before, liked the idea of raising money for the foundation, which supports patient needs at UF Health Shands Hospital as well as cancer research projects. Her brother, Chris, chief resident of emergency medicine at UF, also committed to the climb, and with the support of friends and family, they raised $28,000 while preparing.
It took Amy and Chris, along with other members of their Gainesville team, five-and-a-half days to make it to the top.
The day of the summit, they left camp at 11 p.m., aiming to arrive by dawn. When they saw the signs for the highest point, Amy teared up, realizing how close they were to their goal and thinking about the emotions behind it.
“The air was already thin. It made it even more difficult to breathe when I started to cry.”
Her brother took her arm to support her, and together, they walked the remaining 50 yards to the summit. They called their parents from a satellite phone.
Their father chronicled the moment on his blog, writing, “At 12:12 am. EDT via satellite phone one of the most welcomed sounds we have heard in a long time! ‘We are on the top!’ It was wonderful to hear their voices from half a world away.”
The trip brought the already close family even closer together.
“He was really touched by it,” Chris said. “I think for him it was like a grand gesture. My sister was the one who raised all the money. That showed my dad how much we care and how much this community cares.”
