Gwen was a typical thirteen-year-old who loved school and being with her friends. That all changed once she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. “My diagnosis isolated me from my peers since I could not attend school.” said Gwen. “It disrupted how my family and I lived our daily lives.”
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Posts by Topic: A Patient’s Voice
I’m A Survivor!
Carol DeCoene was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 17 and has been in remission since 2010. In this blog post, she reflects on her journey as a childhood cancer patient and talks about her future as a survivor.
“Walking” Full Circle
Carol was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. But for months she had been misdiagnosed by another doctor, causing her disease to progress to life-threatening levels.
A Family Fight Against Sickle Cell Disease
Three years ago, Dr. Monica Bhatia came to our office and told us she had a family in the clinic that had starting fundraising for Sickle Cell Disease, but needed a charity partner to help, and would we like to meet them. The answer- of course! Little did we know that meeting Jayden Salomon and his family
A Columbia Patient at the Top of Her Class
Natalia Famous is already living up to her last name. This 21 year old is living with Sickle Cell disease and just graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mercy College with a BS in Speech Pathology and as Valedictorian of her class. Her nurse practitioner, Maureen Licursi, said Natalia is a “testament of hope, strength and courage” and
My Eight Year Old Taught Me to Love Fundraising
Since 2010, Team Sienna has loudly and proudly raised over $100,000 for the Hope & Heroes Walk. People may see that number and assume we’ve gotten there through large donations, but it’s exactly the opposite. We’ve learned that lots of little things can go a long way. I’ve been actively fundraising for pediatric cancer since
Mother And Son, Parent And Survivor
Note: Earlier this month we held our 3rd Annual Luncheon. As part of the program we had several distinguished speakers. But perhaps none were more directly affecting than Freddi Ford, a Hope & Heroes Board Member, and her son Hank, a cancer survivor. Here are the videos and transcripts of their remarks. Freddi Ford, Parent
Pay It Forward: A Survivor’s Values
There is perhaps no better opportunity for a person to shine brightest than when they are faced with adversity. This is something I learned at a young age after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Although I was only nine years old at the time, I was able to recognize that I did not want
Meet Jayden’s Heroes At Columbia
My name is Jayden and I’m a SURVIVOR of sickle cell disease. I was treated at Columbia University Medical Center – the #1 program for pediatric cancer and blood disorders in the New York region. Thanks to Hope & Heroes every sick child has access to the same amazing care I received.
Childhood Cancer Research: The Ultimate Summer Job
This past summer there were two young lab assistants in Dr. Andrew Kung’s lab: Avery Hoffman and Jordana Cohen. Avery is a survivor of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – and the Youth Chair of the Hope & Heroes Walk – who had some trepidation about returning to the hospital. Jordana is a longtime supporter of childhood cancer. She has