First Person

Everyone is touched by cancer in some way. In their own words, patients, spouses, and other family members of patients, and long-term survivors reflect on how cancer has changed their lives and the way they see the world. Members of the Dana-Farber community who would like to submit their own stories to First Person should contact Brock Dilworth at william_dilworth@dfci.harvard.edu.

Caroline Bridges — Learning a "new normal"

For Caroline Bridges, the hardest part about being diagnosed with leukemia during her sophomore year at Boston University was giving up her "normal" life.
read more
Kelley Tuthill — Keeping control through cancer

Kelley Tuthill discovered integrative therapies as a way to help her juggle her breast cancer treatment with her roles as journalist, wife, and mother of two children under 5. read more
Ronni Gordon — Baby steps and beyond

Leukemia challenged her twice, but Ronni Gordon fought back with the same will she displayed in tennis matches and road races — and twice got a boost from her beloved Red Sox. read more
Helen Taylor — Fighting back

When her colon cancer returned in 2005, Helen Taylor decided to attack it with the same intensity she reserved for kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do. Her motto became, "Whatever it takes to beat this, I'll do it. I have way too much to live for." read more
Valerie Bradley — A teen friendship flowers

When she became hospital roommates with Chelsie, who was the same age and had received the same diagnosis, Valerie Bradley learned that cancer can bring people together in a way nothing else can. read more
Martha Hayward — A sister's gift leads to breast cancer education

Since her and her sister's cancer diagnoses, Martha Hayward has thought about ways to encourage women to be diligent about screening and early detection. She has come up with an idea that she hopes will make a difference. read more
Robert Soiffer, MD — Stem cell donors: everyday heroes

Dana-Farber transplant physician Robert Soiffer, MD, explains why making a stem cell donation is not just a generous gift – it's a life-changing, heroic act.
read more
Shannon Mannke — The fight of her life

Diagnosed with breast cancer at just 26, Shannon Mannke faced the kind of hardship few her age ever do. But she believes the experience made her a stronger person with a better appreciation of life. read more
Andrea Stein Fiorentino — Why not her?

Following her diagnosis and treatment, Andrea Stein Fiorentino realizes that her life will never be the same as it was. But, she has a new life of which she is proud: A life with friends, family, hopes and dreams. read more
Stephen Collins — Reflections of a stem cell recipient

Stephen Collins shares his observations and reflections — some sobering, and others humorous — from the past three years while he endured two stem cell transplants during his battle with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia. read more
Suzanne Blanchard — In memory of her daughter

After losing her 37-year-old daughter to breast cancer, Suzanne Blanchard chose to participate in a national clinical trial of women at increased risk of contracting the disease. She shares the story of her inspiration for enrolling in the study. read more
June Levinson and Julie Ross — Sharing cancer, sharing a gift

With breast cancer diagnoses nearly 30 years apart, a mother and daughter discover they have much more in common than cancer. They recount with candor their disparate (yet similar) journeys, discovering a bond that would sustain them through cancer and inspire their support for research. read more
The Blanc Family — Having the hope and courage to plan a future

The Blanc family was prepared for the worst when they learned that Rick was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A Dana-Farber doctor offered them hope, and five years later they welcomed the birth of their second child, a boy. read more
Bernadette Giandomenico — Finding the courage to move on

Bernadette Giandomenico was concerned that she wasn't brave or strong enough to endure a bone marrow biopsy and the long and painful treatment she received for her rare form of leukemia. But she was wrong. read more
Bob Keefe — Patient finds new meaning for heroism

Having grown up in the Depression and losing his mother at an early age, Bob Keefe knows something about resiliency. It's helped him in his battle with GIST, an incurable form of cancer. read more
Elana Rosenbaum — Using mindfulness to cope with cancer

As a psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher, Elana Rosenbaum helps people cope with troubling emotions and medical problems. After she was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, she has relied on the lessons she has delivered to thousands of patients over the years to help her through her own treatment. read more
Richard Boyajian — Survivor cares for other survivors

The long journey Rich Boyajian started when he was diagnosed with leukemia (CML) in 1996 at the age of 28 is far from over, despite the fact that he's been disease free for eight years now. As a nurse practitioner in the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Clinic at Dana-Farber, Boyajian has devoted his career to providing care and direction to other cancer survivors. read more
John Brooks — The risks and rewards of clinical trials

John Brooks believes, without a doubt, that had it not been for the experimental drugs used in his clinical trials, as well as his faith, the loving support of his wife, family and friends, and their commitment to speak up, he would not be alive today. read more
Alison Haskell — Ovarian cancer survivor offers lessons from the road

After her diagnosis, Alison Haskell was blown away by her discovery that the screening techniques used to detect early stage ovarian cancer were inadequate. She realized that she was not alone in her ignorance about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, so she took to the road to spread the word across the nation. read more
Tess Garrett — Platelet donors helped her through ‘darkest hours'

Without the platelet donors who repeatedly helped her when she needed them most, Tess Garrett believes her story would have ended long ago. "I often watched these bags of cells drain into my body, knowing that someone out there was saving my life," she told the crowd at the annual platelet donor recognition brunch in May 2004. "Tears still fill my eyes when I think of you and your dedication to a stranger." read more
Scott Viera — Becoming a cancer warrior

After discovering that his cancer had returned following 30 radiation treatments and eight months of chemotherapy, Scott Viera asked himself the three essential questions he has learned in his 27-year wrestling career and applied them to his battle with cancer. read more
Carol Midey — A family is guided by teenage son's courage

Carol Midey "felt unglued" when her 16-year-old son was diagnosed with testicular cancer. But Michael has since received a clean bill of health and the Midey family has learned that they are surrounded by such love and support that no matter what life hands them, they will always survive. read more
Wayne Marasco — Dana-Farber doctor, Jimmy Fund dad

From the window of his laboratory at Dana-Farber, Wayne Marasco, MD, PhD, has a full view of the floors occupied by pediatric cancer patients at Children's Hospital Boston. This daily reminder of the importance of his work uncovering the mysteries of cancer and AIDS took on added meaning in July 2001, when he found himself gazing directly into a room occupied by his 4-year-old daughter, Madison. read more
Larry Lucchino — Red Sox-Jimmy Fund bond hits close to home

When Larry Lucchino came on board as the new president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox in 2002, he was already well aware of the special relationship between the baseball team and its official charity: the Jimmy Fund of Dana-Farber. During 1985-86, while serving as vice president/general counsel for the Baltimore Orioles baseball club, Lucchino was treated at the Institute for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. read more
Colleen Joyce — Testing my courage

Everyone faces adversity, notes high school freshman Colleen Joyce. She just happened to face it a little sooner than most. Diagnosed with ALL when she was 9, Joyce believes the two years she spent coping with chemotherapy and its side effects made her stronger and better prepared for the next obstacle that comes her way. read more
Marilyn Wallach — My support group journey

Like many cancer patients, Marilyn Wallach realized that personal strength and the love and support of family and friends isn't always enough. So, she joined a support group. Since her breast cancer diagnosis, treatment has started and stopped and started again, but there are two things that have remained constant: the love of her family and friends and the support of a roomful of women who know what it's like to be her. read more
Ellen Rose O'Brien — How I got sick and got better

Diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was just five, Ellen Rose O'Brien wrote a book that year about her experiences as a patient at Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic and Children's Hospital Boston to help the young patients who would follow her. Ten years later, that book is still lending comfort and support to Jimmy Fund patients, and Ellen Rose, now 15, is a freshman in high school. read more
John and Tina Hammock — An open approach to living with cancer

Tina and John Hammock began communicating with friends and family by e-mail after Tina's brain tumor diagnosis as a way to provide updates on her condition while also receiving encouragement and support during this difficult time. After she died, many of her friends and family felt privileged to have been included on her journey. read more
Sandra Kelly — Inspired by a patient

The inspiring life and brave death of Adam Friedman, one of her first patients at Dana-Farber, reinforced Sandra Kelly's mid-career decision to work with cancer patients. read more
Shannon McBain — Helping her mother heal

A fourth grader at Henry T. Wing Elementary School in Sandwich, Mass., Shannon McBain reminds us that cancer effects more than just those diagnosed with the disease. She learned this firsthand when her mother was recently treated for breast cancer. read more
Geraldine Ferraro — Waging a campaign against cancer

Since going public with her multiple myeloma diagnosis in June 2001, Geraldine Ferraro has taken every opportunity to promote research and awareness of the rare disease she's facing. read more
The Dodds — One family's story of hope

A couple years after their daughter, Isabelle, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, the Dodds remember how they hunkered down together, united in their common goal to preserve the spirit of life. read more
Patti Branowicki — Grateful for each new day

As an experienced nurse, Patti Branowicki knew about the physical and emotional turmoil that cancer inflicts on patients. What she didn't know was what it actually felt like to have the disease. That all changed last winter, however, when she was diagnosed with Stage III ovarian cancer. read more
Geri Malter — A Chance Meeting, Friendship, and Letting Go

One of Geri Malter's first requests after her 1983 diagnosis with retroperitoneal liposarcoma was to talk with someone else who had the same cancer. This proved to be harder than she imagined until that day 11 years later when she had a chance meeting at a conference in Washington, D.C., with a woman named Lynne. read more
Linda Legendre — Transforming her role as healer

After she was diagnosed with tonsilar cancer in January 2002, Linda Legendre went looking for stories of others who had gone through similar experiences as she. When she couldn't find many, she decided to write her own. In this six-part series, Legendre reflects on the past year and how it has transformed her and her role as a healer. read more
Andrew MacKinlay — Surviving ALL

After enduring two years of chemotherapy, 8-year-old Andrew MacKinley is ready for life without his port, school, little league, and that distant March day when he will make the three-point shot at the buzzer to win the NCAA championship. read more
Diana Rose — Grateful to be a survivor

Diana Rose didn't want to die. Only 31 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she still had so much she wanted to live for. She wanted to fall in love; she wanted to have children; she wanted to see Paris. She wanted to live. Three years into her journey toward wellness, she's now looking forward to the day 40 years from now when she can look back at her life and say, "I'm grateful to be a survivor." read more
Kristen Pluntze — Lucky 13

A breast cancer diagnosis on Friday the 13th reinforced Kristen Pluntze's fears about bad luck and superstition. But when her husband pointed out to her that the day she was diagnosed was the first day on her road to wellness, she was reminded that every day alive — whether it's Friday the 13th or Friday the 12th — is a good day. read more
Laura Jeppesen — Making Connections

Laura Jeppesen and her husband were poring over maps and planning their upcoming trip to France when she received a call from her doctor's office with news of her breast cancer. Instead of driving through the French countryside, Jeppeson was about to embark on a completely different kind of journey. read more
Brock Dilworth — Finding Beauty

A recent encounter with a remarkably happy young toddler with cancer reminded Brock Dilworth of some of the things he's learned to appreciate in the 15 years since his cancer diagnosis. read more
Kathleen Visovatti — My "Silver Linings" in Boston

Less than two years after her husband of 34 years died of esophogeal cancer, Kathleen Visovatti was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. And despite all this, the next two years would be among the best in her life, giving weight to the old adage, "Every cloud has a silver lining." read more