Weei/nesn Jimmy Fund Radio-telethon

Eva had unexplained fevers for about a week. She was pale and sleeping a lot. Herparents took her to the pediatrician, who advised them to take Eva immediately to theemergency room. Her bloodwork revealed she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). After two years of treatment including chemotherapy, she was finally in remission,but cancer returned just two weeks later. Eva needed a stem cell transplant and her twin brother, Joey, was a perfect match for the procedure. She received a stem cell transplant from Joey in 2022. She also has received CAR-Tcell therapy, a type of immunotherapy. She received her cells in May and continues to be seen twice weekly to track her progress with therapy and platelet infusions. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is aggressive and progresses quickly. It affects thelymphoid-cell-producing stem cells, in particular a type of white blood cell called Tlymphocytes as opposed to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) which commonly affects B lymphocytes. ALL is the most common type of childhoo

“It was nothing to worry about,” Andrew was repeatedly told, when he visitedurgent care twice for pain in his pelvis area. But the discomfort wouldn’t go away, so he met with his primary care physician who referred him to a urologist for an ultrasound. The scans led to a testicular cancer diagnosis in early 2023. It was caught early enough, and he was told there was a good prognosis. The cancer had only spread very lightly to his lymph nodes. Adam works as the director of data analytics for a pharmaceutical company. Heloves vacationing with his family, watching his children play their sports (soccer for his son Jacob and gymnastics for his daughter Julia) and caring for his 2004 BMW. He hopes to help normalize conversations around testicular cancer for other men so they can overcome stigmas and shame around it. Today, he and his wife Kara arecelebrating their wedding anniversary. Dr. Atish Choudhury is a medical oncologist and clinical/translational investigatorwithin the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncolog

Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks joins to share his personal battle with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, getting involved with the Jimmy Fund, and working back from injury to hopefully help the team as they push for the playoffs.

During the summer before her senior year in Boston College’s nursing program,Zoe started having chronic headaches, which were brushed off as anxiety andmigraines. Eventually, her left arm went numb, so doctors thought she could beexperiencing a focal seizure: a seizure that affects only one side of the brain. An MRI led to a brain tumor diagnosis. After surgery in 2017, she was declared cancer-free. Zoe worked at an infusion clinic in Waltham for two years prior to joiningDana-Farber—Chestnut Hill in 2021. After transferring her own healthcare toDana-Farber, however, she learned there is no cure for her cancer. Zoe was enrolled in the Indigo clinical trial and expects to continue taking an oral drug for the remainder of her life to prevent the brain tumor from returning. Zoe, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in healthcare administration,says she often forms emotional bonds with patients and shares her story when it is appropriate and helpful. She’s training and fundraising for the Berlin Marathon

Tina was 33 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She discovered a bumpnear her clavicle and went to her OGBYN who promptly sent her for a mammogram.Tina is among a growing number of young women being diagnosed with breast cancer. Tina’s treatment started with six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy earlier this summer. She is currently doing some rounds of low dosage chemotherapy throughout the rest of this year and recently started radiation treatment as well. Tina works as a Government Relations Manager and works in public policy forDoorDash. Tina loves to travel and goes to Ireland several times a year. Tina and herfiancé Erik also spend a lot of time on outdoor adventures with their dog, Buddy. Dr. Mayer received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed aresidency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a fellowship inHematology/Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She obtained a Master's inPublic Health from the Harvard School of Public He

Dr. Hahn is the William Rosenberg Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and an Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He serves as an Executive Vice President and the Chief Operating Officer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Hahn has made numerous discoveries that have informed our currentmolecular understanding of cancer. His laboratory has pioneered the use of integrated functional genomic approaches to identify and validate cancer targets. The tools, models and approaches that his laboratory has developed are widely used worldwide to discover and validate molecularly targeted cancer therapies. Dr. Hahn has served as the President of the American Society for ClinicalInvestigation and has been elected to the Association of American Physicians and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Hahn has been the recipient of many honors and awards including the Wilson S. Stone Award from M.D. Anderson Cancer Cen

Red Sox relievers Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen join the show to talk about their second year as part of the Jimmy Fund and the impact they've seen while being a part of it. The pitchers also react to a walk-off win on the previous night and how ready the team is to make a push for the playoffs in the final month and a half of the regular season.

Dr. James Fanale worked in healthcare for nearly five decades, but never reallyknew what it meant to be a patient until he was told he had cancer - Stage 4 lungcancer. James was president and CEO of Care New England, retiring in 2022, shortly after being diagnosed. Jim typically ran the Falmouth Road Race and insists on being able to continuerunning. Since his cancer diagnosis, Jim has focused on his personal life. He’s retired and planning trips with his wife, Deb. Jim is in the middle of writing a book called “Onward,” which focuses on the empathy in medicine and the emotional weight of the journey of patients and their caregivers. All the proceeds will be donated to a new “caregivers fund” at the Dana-Farber. Dr. Barbie is the Director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology atDana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at HarvardMedical School. He is also Associate Director of the Belfer Center for Applied CancerScience and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute. According to

Denise Beady was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with early-stage breastcancer in 2017. She sought out care at Dana-Farber, in part because she was soyoung at the time of her diagnosis. In 2022, Denise felt another lump under her arm, and after tests and scans, it was revealed that Denise was having a recurrence of her breast cancer and it returned as stage 4 Denise works as a paramedic and dispatcher. When she’s not working, she enjoysspending time with her husband Robert, and her two boys Tyler, 14, and Ryan, 11. She spends a lot of time driving them to different sports activities. Both of her kids do obstacle training at a gym in Weymouth. Her oldest runs cross country and her younger son plays soccer. Dr. Burstein is one of the world’s leading experts in the multi-disciplinary and medical management of early- and late-stage breast cancer. Dr. Burstein has led or participated in innumerable clinical trials for breast cancer, including Phase 1, 2 and 3 studies of novel agents, biological treatments, che

Jillian McFall joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss her battle with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Brian Wolpin joins to further discuss Jillian's journey.  Jillian landed in the ICU and cancer unit in Boston; where she met Dr. Brian Wolpin, who explained that she’d need to start chemotherapy as soon as possible or she’d die. She was so sick and doesn’t even remember her first chemotherapy session. Today, the tumor has been reduced to half its original size. She’s now on a break from her job and credits her family and endocrinology team for their unwavering support. Dr. Brian Wolpin received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 2001. He later completed his Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and his Medical Oncology fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is the director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center and serves as the Robert T. and Judith B. Hale Chair in Pancreatic Cancer. His research focuses on biomarkers and novel therapeutics in gastrointestinal malignancies,

Lorayne Wadden joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss her four year old daughter's acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis in November 2023. Eliza's treatment has included chemotherapy, and she currently is in treatment. Her family thinks the Jimmy Fund Clinic is so special because the staff, doctors, and nurses help make them forget about the illness at times and comforts the patients through the entire process. In the Jimmy Fund Clinic, Eliza loves the music room, playing, singing, dancing, and doing crafts.   

Marlene joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss her battle with Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Merlene is joined by daughter Jen and Dr. Lachelle Weeks. Dr. Weeks is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a physician-scientist in the adult leukemia program at Dana-Farber Cancer institute.  Dr. Weeks’ clinic focuses on the care of patients with precursors of myeloid malignancies including clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS). Her research focuses on understanding features of CHIP and CCUS that impact the progression to overt myeloid diseases such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute leukemia.

Doug Grip, who was diagnosed with squamous cell sarcoma in 2018, sits down with Gresh and Fauria alongside Dr. Robert Haddad, the chief physician of the Head and Neck Oncology division. Doug, who is celebrating being cancer-free for six years this month, praises the above-and-beyond support and caretaking of his wife, Karen, as well as their two daughters who wore necklaces with the word “Hopeful” throughout his treatment. He also credits his recovery with his relentlessly positive attitude.  

Shirley Joseph, a breast cancer patient at Dana-Farber joins Gresh and Fauria alongside her husband, Mike, and  Kristen Donoghue a Registered Nurse at Dana-Farber. Kristen says her best days at work are when she “throws myself into my patients’ lives” and helps them to redirect focus on their family, friends, and ambitions—not their cancer. Shirley and Kirsten discuss the relationship they have developed since meeting at Dana-Farber and Shirley's battled with breast cancer.  Shirley came to Dana-Farber for treatment and has been undergoing chemotherapy and surgery throughout this year. Shirley is raising awareness of IBC by creating video content on social media. She didn’t let her cancer stop her from opening the hair salon, “Locs By Us,” which opened last month. Shirley was also perform the National Anthem ahead of tonight's Red Sox game. 

Chris Devin joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss his experience battling multiple myeloma and his participation in a clinical trial at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute under the care of Dr. Paul Richardson.  Chris faced a series of relapses and faced another intensive treatment regimen lasting 12 months. In October 2023, Chris underwent CAR T-cell therapy. Despite being hospitalized multiple times due to his compromised immune system and enduring a battle with COVID-19 and pneumonia, Chris's resilience shone through and today is feeling fantastic. Dr. Paul G. Richardson is the clinical program leader and director of clinical research in the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics at DF/BWCC. He is also an RJ Cordman Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. One of the world’s foremost authorities on multiple myeloma, Richardson serves as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials underway to improve patient outcome and increase long-term survivorship.

Bruins forward Pavel Zacha joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss the Jimmy Fund, Pastrnak's wedding, the Bruins offseason, and more. 

Mary Cortes and Dr. Pozo-Kaderman join Gresh and Fauria to discuss Dana Farber's Young Adult Program (YAP). The aim of YAP is to o   Ease the emotional burden of living and coping with cancer o   Empower young adults to become active participants in their cancer treatment o   Provide emotional and social support in the form of educational workshops, conferences, opportunities to network with other young adults with cancer, and clinical mental health services  Mary was diagnosed with lymphoma in May 2023. Mary sought consultation at two other hospitals before deciding to proceed with her care at Dana-Farber. Mary’s treatment included a port placement for a six-month course of chemotherapy.  Mary is a nursing student and surgical assistant at a Cranio-Maxillofacial surgeon’s office in Medford. Dr. Pozo-Kaderman is a senior psychologist and the Director of the Young Adult Program (YAP) and Director of Interprofessional Education in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana Farber Ca

Erika Lowenthal, a Neurologic Music Therapist, and Emily Kleschinsky, a Certified Child Life Specialist, join Gresh and Fauria to discuss their work with the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Dana-Farber. Erika works alongside the Jimmy Fund Clinic’s incredible Child Life Specialists to create support plans to help patients during medical procedures, provide one-on-one sessions throughout the clinic and host a bi-weekly music therapy group online called Jimmy Jams for younger children.   Emily works with patients to developmentally-appropriately prepare them for things like port accesses and blood draws, helping them create coping plans, and accompanying them to procedures. Emily plans crafts for the kids to do while they are at the clinic, spends a lot of time doing one-on-one play, and does her best to make sure that the kids have the opportunity to express themselves and be kids while in care.

Charlie Jacobs, CEO and alternate governor for the Bruins, joins Gresh and Fauria to discuss the Jimmy Fund and the Bruins role in the Boston community. 

Kadidia Dienta joins Gresh and Fauria along with Dr. Reid Merryman. Kadidia discusses her battle with lymphoma cancer that begin in July 2020. Kadidia’s treatment included chemotherapy, CAR T therapy, and after two relapses with cancer, she is currently participating in a clinical trial that shows promise.  Dr. Merryman is an attending physician in the Lymphoma Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His research focuses on the development of immune-based therapies for patients with lymphoma.