Category Cancer Patient Stories

An unbreakable brother-sister bond

July 7, 2022

Keene, 11, and Heeth, 9, were a typical sister and brother pair. Keene found her younger brother annoying at times for being too loud or messy, but she loved him as any big sister does. In February 2021, when Heeth…

Continue

Choosing Happy, A Musical Memoir- Teri Scheinzeit

More than 60 years later, a patient of Sidney Farber, MD, gives hope to others

July 5, 2022

Teri Scheinzeit is a childhood cancer survivor. In 1960, when she was just 6 years old, Teri was diagnosed with stage IV Wilms’ tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. Though she lived in upstate New York, her…

Continue

New Yorker finds special connection with the Jimmy Fund and Red Sox

June 27, 2022

Despite being a lifelong New Yorker, Fenway Park and the Red Sox now hold a special place in Lamar Valentina’s heart. Originally diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2019, Lamar, a non-smoker, sought a second opinion at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,…

Continue

Doctor’s compassionate care inspires family to give back

June 9, 2022

For nearly 40 years, Jeffrey Wisch, MD, dedicated his career to providing compassionate care for patients. When he retired from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2021, dozens of former patients and families came forward to express their gratitude, including the Lane…

Continue

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Young adult program

Friendships formed through advanced cancer, support groups, and memes

June 8, 2022

This isn’t your average group of 20- and 30-something-year-old friends. Bethany, Jeremy, Kelly, Lisa, Megan, and Vince met in fall 2021 as part of the Young Adult Peer Group Program, a focused support group for young adults at Dana-Farber Cancer…

Continue

Meet Avery, the face of the 2022 Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl®

June 1, 2022

Avery Paananen, an ice cream–loving 3-year-old from Cumberland, R.I., was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in February 2021, after her parents, Matti and Liz, noticed some bruising and a hard lump on the back of her head. Her pediatrician…

Continue

Family stays resilient through pediatric leukemia treatment

May 27, 2022

Cael Su Soto was an active, happy young boy when his parents, Yuli and Martin, first noticed him limping in September 2021, as a two-and-a-half-year-old in daycare. While he didn’t express any pain or have any other symptoms, Yuli knew…

Continue