Climb. Conquer. Cure.

69 Flights I 1,356 Steps I 788 Ft. Vertical Elevation

Why I Climb

As a physician, it’s been my greatest honor to care for the men and women who safeguard the lives of southwestern Idahoans. I entered my first Stairclimb in 2012 in solidarity with the members of the Boise Fire Department that I was privileged to see as my patients, and came to know as my friends. In placing their lives on the line, emergency responders also experience on-the-job exposures that may increase their risk for serious health conditions, including numerous types of cancers. This is why I started climbing.

Officer Guy Bourgeau has been a staunch advocate for the health and well-being of fellow members of the Boise Police Department. He co-founded, and has continued to help lead, the Boise Fire & Police Trust, promoting access to quality, affordable, and specialized healthcare for hundreds of local emergency responders. I became acquainted with Guy more than a decade ago through his work as a health promoter. Guy is also tremendously funny, loyal, and a dedicated husband and father. This is how I came to know Guy as a lifelong friend. 

In late 2020, Guy came to see me with abdominal pain and jaundice. This unexpected visit led to a devastating diagnosis - follicular lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Guy responded well to chemotherapy at first, but his cancer progressed to an aggressive form of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The prognosis was not optimistic. Then, Guy was connected to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where he was enrolled in clinical trials for CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Immunotherapy) last October. For three long months, Guy resided at or near the hospital, and endured the many agonizing complications of cancer and its treatment. His wife, Officer Lori Bourgeau, held down her full-time job with the Boise Police Department while routinely making the flight to Seattle. Family and friends rallied to help care for the Bourgeau’s teen daughters. The Bourgeau family fought hard, and fought together, and Guy’s condition began to improve.

Today, Guy continues to respond well to the CAR-T regimen. His access to this groundbreaking immunotherapy has been made possible, in part, through research funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and events such as the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb. Guy’s fellow law enforcement officers provided him a heartwarming welcome when he returned to active duty this February. The Bourgeaus continue to face a long road ahead, but with renewed reasons for hope. This is why I keep climbing.

Thank you for supporting me to Go Vertical for Guy, and for so many families like the Bourgeaus, through a donation to the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb. Your tax-deductible gift will bring researchers many steps closer to a cure for blood cancers. It’s easy – simply click on the DONATE NOW link, or send a check to the address below. (Be certain to credit the Boise Fire Department team.) THANK YOU!

Rob Hilvers

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Attn:  LLS Firefighers Stairclimb

PO Box 102488, Pasadena, CA  91189-2488

What is the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb?

The LLS Firefighter Stairclimb is the world's largest on-air stair climb competition, and annual fundraiser held at the tallest building in town, the Columbia Center. All 2,000 participants are career, volunteer, or retired firefighters who will climb up the second tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi in full turnout gear, weighing over 60 pounds, while on-air. Throughout this grueling course, we all remember that every step forward is representative of moving closer to a cure. Although this is an extreme test of physical endurance, it pales in comparison to what blood cancer patients endure. All proceeds raised directly benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and since its inception in 1991, this event has raised over $20 million thus far.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and sincere generosity in this cause worth climbing for.