Category Cancer Patient Stories

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…

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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…

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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…

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Bladder cancer patients share their stories, spread awareness

May 24, 2022

May marks Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, the fourth most common cancer among American men. In recognition, we spoke with two bladder cancer patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institutes to share their experiences and spread awareness. These are their stories. Fred After…

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Defying liver cancer in style

May 23, 2022

Every 28 days, a head-turning 1963 Chevy Bel Air pulls up to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Longwood Campus. Out of the forest green classic steps Frazier, a 63-year-old liver cancer patient, who travels from Cape Cod monthly for treatment with Thomas…

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Bladder cancer patient is “living proof” of research advances

May 19, 2022

A retiree in Wareham, Mass., 63-year-old Nathan Maxim started having bladder issues, followed by bowel issues, in fall 2018. An avid outdoorsman, he had trouble going on hikes and staying comfortable after exercising or eating. After a colonoscopy, MRI, and…

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Grateful patients spread awareness and advance research for melanoma

May 18, 2022

May marks Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, an opportunity for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute patients like John Morgan, Michael Blitzer, and Dawn Neher, who are all being treated for melanoma, to reflect on their journeys, spread awareness that may help…

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