WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

Jen’s role focuses on the Just for Teens Program. She works with the adolescent and young adult population in the Jimmy Fund Clinic. The goal of this program and a large part of Jen’s job is to ease the treatment experience for teens by offering age-appropriate activities to help support them. Additionally, the program facilitates peer-to- peer connection and support – patients connecting with others their age who “get it.”There are two parts of the Teen Program:
o Offerings in the Clinic (Teen Area in clinic, special daily age appropriate
activities, FACES & FLASHES groups)
o Offerings Outside the Clinic (trips)

Jen says that we hear so much about the teen trips during the Radio-Telethon – and of course, these experiences are amazing – but she wants to shine a little light on the day-to- day elements of the Teen Program, such as support groups (FACES & FLASHES), Jen says that a goal of Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund Clinic is to make cancer a part of patients’ lives, but not the center of a patient’s life – this is especially important for teens who are going through important life milestones such as high school graduation or freshman orientation at college.

Joan Janssen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2010 in Wisconsin. Her cancer responded well to initial therapies. Unfortunately, Joan's cancer returned on three separate occasions. In 2014, after
her third recurrence, her local doctors informed her that she had exhausted all currently available treatment options and encouraged Joan to pursue a clinical trial. Joan and her husband found a clinical trial at Dana-Farber and four months later she enrolled. She started traveling weekly from Wisconsin to Boston for treatment. The clinical trial she started on went very well. Joan felt great. Joan is now on a new clinical trial, a combination of two drugs that target vulnerabilities in her tumor. She is doing very well. Her treatment team, including her nurse Stephanie Morrissey, have become like
family. "It's good to have friends on your medical team," says Joan. To make the weekly trips, from Madison to Boston a little more fun, Joan takes a different girlfriend with her each time. This gives Joan a travel companion and gives her friends a chance to see a great city. Joan has also been fortunate to stay with a host family in the Boston area through a program that Dana-Farber participates in. Joan is retired from her job as a law office administrator. She enjoys sewing, sitting by the lake and visiting her young grandchildren who live in Houston, Texas.

Stephanie has been a nurse at Dana-Farber for more than 27 years. She treats women with gynecological cancers, the most common of which is ovarian cancer. As a research nurse, Stephanie helps to coordinate and evaluate clinical trials for women with gynecologic cancers. The results from the clinical trials that Stephanie has helped to coordinate have led to new approvals of drugs and therapies by the FDA for women with ovarian and other gynecologic cancers.

Former Boston Bruin and current VP of business operations for the Florida Panthers, Shawn Thornton joins Glenn, Lou, and Christian on the first day of the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon. 

Sandy was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2013. The diagnosis came as a total shock. Sandy was only 36 years old and was in the best shape of her life. Sandy was treated at a hospital close to her home in Glastonbury, CT. She went into remission but unfortunately her cancer returned in 2015 and spread to her liver. Sandy said, “When I heard my cancer was metastatic I thought I was going to
die. My daughters would have no mom. But it turns out that with the right care, many women can live well with this disease." Sandy decided to come to Dana-Farber for treatment of her metastatic breast
cancer. Sandy has been in treatment for her metastatic breast cancer for the last two years. She feels great and her current therapy is a combination of two oral drugs that target genetic vulnerabilities in her tumor. Sandy and her husband Craig have two daughters, Samantha, 15, and Amanda, 11. She is the CEO and co-owner of a distributorship in Western Mass.

Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred joins Glenn, Lou, and Christian on the first day of the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Former Secretary of State, John Kerry joins Glenn, Lou, and Christian on the first day of the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Angelo was diagnosed in September 2016 with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma after being taken to the ER when he wasn’t feeling well. His treatment has consisted of chemotherapy and radiation for several months. Angelo's treatment is now complete and he is in remission. Angelo is enrolled at UMass Boston this fall. He enjoys spending time with his friends, running track, playing X-Box, and hanging out with his pug, Rosie. He has a large extended family – on both sides – who are his support system. He has 2 sisters: Kristina, 24 and Julianna, 22.

Dr. Shulman has been at Dana-Farber for two years. He has been taking care of Angelo since the fall of 2016. He thinks Angelo is an inspiring young man who has faced his diagnosis and treatment with great courage and poise. He says Angelo has a great sense of humor and has a remarkable way of putting both his family and providers at ease. They have become close throughout his difficult treatment.

President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, Sam Kennedy, joins Kirk, Gerry, and Mut on the first day of the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Larry is a two-time cancer survivor. In 1985, when he was vice president and general counsel of the Baltimore Orioles, Lucchino was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 40. He received chemotherapy and an autologous bone marrow transplant at Dana-Farber. Then in 1999, Lucchino was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and underwent surgery at Johns Hopkins to remove the cancerous tissue. Larry has experienced the Jimmy Fund/Red Sox partnership from both sides—as a patient and as a part of the Red Sox.

Dr. Nadler was Larry’s physician when he was a patient at Dana-Farber. Dr. Nadler can speak about how cancer care has changed in the last decade and about Dana-Farber’s contributions to the current landscape of cancer treatment.

Governor Charlie Baker joins Kirk, Gerry, and Mut on the first day of the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.