WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

Samantha had symptoms for more than 6 months varying from shortness of breath to fatigue, and infections. She finally went to the hospital and after a series of tests, Samantha learned that she had AML.

Her treatment has included chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant from a 33-year-old male in Poland.

Her diagnosis has had such a profound impact on her life that she has decided that she would like to pursue a career as a pediatric oncology nurse. She is a rising senior at St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School in Fitchburg.

In Samantha's spare time she enjoys shopping, hanging out with friends, and helping with her former softball team, for which her father is the coach.

Paul, an avid jogger, began to get shortness of breath while working out. Soon after, he began to experience a full stomach shortly after starting to eat. After visiting his doctor, he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis.

For his treatment, Paul has received a stem cell transplant and is now focusing on being reimmunized. 

He chose Dana-Farber for its world-class reputation for treating cancer.

Paul’s experience at the Institute really took a turn in April 2017. He spent a month in the hospital and was then discharged to go home. He had to spend the next year in isolation, but unfortunately, three weeks later, his wife of 45 years, Norma, passed away suddenly.

Paul was so grateful for his doctor’s and nurses’ support. He will never forget their kindness and love. They encouraged him to push himself and do things that he didn’t think he was capable of.

Paul is now supported by his daughter, Kelley; son-in-law, Tony, and granddaughter, Taylor.

In his free time, he loves to run, play golf, and work.

Dr. Antin is Chief of Stem Cell Transplantation at Dana-Farber.

Dr. Antin received his MD from Cornell University in 1978, and postgraduate training in hematology and medical oncology at DFCI and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He subsequently served as director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Service at BWH from 1987 to 1997.

He is a founding member and past president of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and a past Chairman of the Steering Committee of the BMT Clinical Trial Network.

The Sox' DH/OF joins Dale and Rich at Fenway on the second day of the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Dr. Glimcher is a distinguished immunologist, widely renowned for her work in one of the most promising areas of cancer research

Dr. Glimcher speaks nationally and internationally on cancer, immunology, and translational medicine and has contributed more than 350 scholarly articles and papers to the medical literature.

Aside from her research efforts, Dr. Glimcher has been a staunch proponent of improved access to care, health policy, and medical education, while simultaneously serving as a pioneering mentor and role model for cancer research trainees and for all women in science.

She was the first female to be appointed as Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and is the first female President and Chief Executive Officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Betsy first began to feel pain in her hip and was dealing with some nausea, which she initially wrote off as a pulled muscle and GI issues, in 2016. But when the symptoms persisted, Betsy decided to see a doctor and was diagnosed with unclassified pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) in November 2016 at 30 years old.

As part of her treatment, Betsy has undergone radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery on her leg and lungs. She began her treatment at the end of 2016 with chemo and radiation. She then had two surgeries in 2017 but found recurrences in both her leg and lungs in December 2017. Betsy is now in chemotherapy with the goal of controlling her tumor growth.

Betsy is supported by her fiancé, who she will be marrying this weekend, her brother, sister, and her parents. While she is currently on a leave of absence as she treats her disease, Betsy is a project manager at the Center for Sustainable Energy.

Betsy loves to hike, kayak, or just be outside. She recently went on a kayaking trip with First Descents, a non-profit group that takes young adults with cancer on trips with patients and survivors. 

Betsy is extremely grateful for the treatment she has received from Dana-Farber and the relationships she has built with her nurses and doctors.

Kerry is a program nurse in the Department of Sarcoma at Dana-Farber. 

She has worked in many capacities at the Institute, starting her career at Dana-Farber as a new graduate. 

It was her work with the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and The Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology that increased her exposure to the number of young adults battling cancer.  

She found that she really enjoyed working with these patients and became interested in how to bring them together and provide a community in the oncologic world.  

She was excited when she learned about the inception of the Young Adult Program (YAP) at Dana-Farber and joined the team.

Initially, she worked to spread word about the program to young adult patients.  As her interest grew, so did the program, and she has become more involved through attending YAP events and collaborating with members of the YAP team. Kerry continues to bring her excitement and enthusiasm to the program and looks forward to being active in its continued growth.