Weei/nesn Jimmy Fund Radio-telethon

In April 2016, Zack went to the ER with a large, painful lump on the side of his neck and remained in the hospital for 4 days. He was diagnosed with a brachial cleft cyst.Antibiotics reduced the size of the cyst down to where they could not find it on an MRI and Zack carried on. Late in July, after returning from a month in Spain, the lump was back, but again the antibiotics took care of it. Eventually they tested the cyst and found it to be benign and started talking about removing it.In January 2017, the cyst was removed, but the next day, the doctor came in to tell Zack and his family that the pathology results found the cyst to be covered in lymphoma. Zack began treatment in February, right after the Super Bowl.Zack is a huge sports fan and enjoys football, basketball, baseball and skiing, and all things Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics. Zack is also a scholar-athlete.His family includes his parents, Sean and Beth, and his sister, Molly, 13.He is a rising junior at St. Mary’s in Lynn.

President of the Boston Red Sox Sam Kennedy joins Kirk and Gerry live from Fenway Park at the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Sisters: JEN LEMMERMAN; NICOLE LYNCHCreated “TEAM COLLIER” for the Jimmy Fund Walk back in 2013. Participating in their sixth straight Jimmy Fund Walk next month in honor of Sean.Listened to the WEEI NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon when he was 14 years old with his sister Jen.Set up a recurring withdrawal from his bank account after listening to the Radio Telethon when he was 14 years old. Family did not know until he passed away

Kirk and Gerry met Nixon and his parents when they visited the Clinic this spring.After his first day of skiing for the season at Stowe in Nov. 2017, Nixon had a shower and went out for dinner. After dinner, Nixon and his brother wanted to go for a quick swim in the pool before bed. When getting changed, his parents noticed that Nixon had an odd rash that had only appeared while they were at dinner. Thinking about how quickly it appeared, they tried to find a doctor close by.The closest doctor was at a little hospital in Vermont about 30 minutes away, so Shaun took Nixon to the emergency room just to be safe. Very quickly the doctors deduced that it was most likely a viral rash and he was pretty much ok and could probably even ski the next day.However, because there was no pediatrician at the hospital, they needed to refer Nixon to one remotely. They advised that, because of Nixon's age, there could be a chance that the rash stemmed from some bacteria that can cause changes very quickly in children. The docto

Old friend Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo joins Kirk and Gerry from the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, and is predicting a down season for the Patriots.

In January 2018, Will's pediatrician noted that he hadn't gained weight for a few months. Being cautious, the family was sent to the hospital under the assumption that William was having GI issues.Will was seen at the ER and the doctor ordered labs.The doctor felt William's belly after the labs had come back a little funny and it seemed a little swollen. However, these abnormalities could all be explained from a virus, since William had been getting over a cold. The ER doctor ordered an ultrasound as a precaution.The radiologist that conducted the ultrasound was the one who informed the Holbrooks that William had what appeared to be a large tumor on his liver.Jake and Stephanie met with doctors at the Jimmy Fund Clinic and had a CT scan the next day. They then learned that the cancer had spread to Will's lungs.His treatment has included chemotherapy and surgery.Will loves listening to music, dancing, and going for walks. He loves dinosaurs and balloons.Will had his last chemotherapy treatment on July 18.

In July 2016, Jack had been complaining of a stomach ache and was feverish. His mother, Brenna, took him to the pediatrician to be examined and hopefully receive a prescription.The doctor felt Jack’s stomach and noticed a mass. He was immediately sent in for x-rays and then to the ER. Brenna initially thought that Jack had appendicitis. After undergoing CT scans, doctors informed Jack and his mother that he had tumors on his liver. He was diagnosed with Stage III hepatoblastoma.Jack has since undergone 6 rounds of chemotherapy. In October 2016, he received a liver transplant.Jack is being treated by Dr. O’Neill, who Jack says is always upbeat and positive. Dr. O’Neill always manages to put a smile on Jack’s face and answers all questions with honesty and care. She is not only comforting for Jack, and also for his parents.Jack has a little sister, Clara, 2.While not at preschool, Jack loves to go to the playground, ride bikes, color, read, and learn about the solar system.

Max and his family were featured on the Radio-Telethon in 2015 and 2017. Max was being treated for Ewing sarcoma in May 2015 and after 18 months of remission, his cancer returned.  He had 4 nodules in his lungs. He will continue his treatment over the next 11 months. (He has been, and continues to be, on treatment since last June.) He takes chemotherapy pills everyday along with 5 days of treatment every four weeks. The trial, known as PAZIT, is brand new at Dana-Farber.Max will be in third grade at Coolidge Elementary School and just completed his second season of Little League Baseball. He was chosen for the All-Star team and he loves to pitch and catch.In July, Max and his family attended a Red Sox game with the local CIA office. Max and his brother used aliases, Papa Churro and Omega, during their visit. They had a police escort to Fenway and threw out the first pitch

Lost his father Michael to pancreatic cancer in December 2016Diagnosed in 2015Treated at Miriam Hospital in Providence

Tricia has been a stem cell transplant nurse at Dana-Farber for 15 years and was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. She found out 5 days after she was diagnosed with breast cancer that she was expecting her first child.  Tricia went through six months of chemotherapy to treat her cancer while pregnant. Tricia made it her mission to work throughout her treatment.Her treatment was successful, and she and her 7-year-old son, Matthew, are both perfectly healthy now.Tricia counts among her career highlights throwing out the first pitch at Fenway in August 2005 in recognition of Dana-Farber nurses achieving "Magnet" status.  Alex Cora was her “catcher” that day.

Carlie appeared on Radio-Telethon in 2016.Carlie was diagnosed in October 2015. After seeing her doctor upon initial concerns, a CT-scan revealed a tumor, and Carlie was sent to Boston Children’s ER for an MRI and biopsy. She was then diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Carlie's treatment has included surgery and chemotherapy. She completed treatment in spring 2016.Carlie's family chose Dana-Farber for treatment as they believe it to be the top-rated children's cancer center. They are very grateful to live close to the Institute. Carlie's grandmother, Jane, was also treated as an adult at Dana-Farber for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a common childhood blood cancer that is rare in adults. Carlie is a rising senior at Milford High School and loves to sing. She says that singing has been hugely therapeutic for her since her diagnosis, and she is involved with the music therapy program at the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies at Dana-Farber. Carlie's family includes her mother, Julie;

Roger Clemens joins Joe and Mut to talk about how he came up with the idea to auction off the chance to hit batting practice off of him. He also talks about his time in Boston and visiting kids at Dana-Farber.  

Charlie Davies is a retired American professional soccer player that played for the New England Revolution. He was born in Manchester, NH and played at Boston College before turning pro. Charlie also had 17 caps with the United States National team and had four international goals with them. Charlie pulled his groin in 2016 and got a concerning MRI which led to him getting an ultrasound and then being diagnosed with liposarcoma in the spring of 2016. On advice from a family friend Charlie chose to be treated by Dr. Wagner at Dana-Farber. He under went surgery to have the tumor removed and now visits Dana-Farber every 6 months to make sure he is still cancer-free. Charlie is also writing a book about his life that he hopes inspire and motivate others. 

Maria Puglia, 39, of Mefield, Massachusetts joins Joe and Tim in the booth to talk about how the Jimmy Fund has assisted her during her treatment for breast cancer.

Larry Lucchino, Chairman of the Pawtucket Red Sox and Boston Red Sox President/CEO Emeritus, and Chairman of the Jimmy Fund joins Joe and Tim in the booth to talk all things Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

In February 2017, Callie was exposed to whooping cough at her daycare. Her family took her to the hospital for treatment. She had her nose swabbed and it came back covered in blood. The doctors assured the family that it was most likely due to irritated sinuses.Callie’s bloodwork showed a low platelet count. Prior to developing whooping cough, Callie had been developing freckles. These freckles were petechiae which are small little red/purple dots that indicate low platelets.  The following week, they were introduced to a hematologist and he diagnosed her with ITP, a blood clotting disorder.From February through April, Callie experienced several nose bleeds, large bruises, more petechiae, and her colds seemed to be getting worse and worse.  In April 2017, Callie’s bone marrow biopsy showed AML.Callie received two regimens of chemotherapy throughout the months of April, May and June. Callie did extremely well during these months. She has so much energy and was so happy and full of life which gave her family ho

Brian Boyle is a professional ice hockey player, currently playing for the New Jersey Devils. He is one of 13 children and grew up in Hingham. Brian attended St. Sebastian’s School, and then went on to play four years of ice hockey at Boston College. He was drafted to the Los Angeles Kings out of college.Brian’s professional hockey career was thrown off course when he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in September 2017. He had no symptoms of cancer other than a “steady decline” in energy level. It wasn’t until a blood test, conducted in a team physical, that he discovered the cancer.Throughout his treatment, Brian had to take 2 pills a day on an empty stomach. He felt some controllable side effects from his medication, but only missed 10 games throughout the course of his treatment.After his diagnosis, Brian had a different perspective on hockey and life. He realized thatnothing was guaranteed and began to appreciate the smaller moments in life. When he scored his first goal after returning to the D

Ava began to complain of ear pain, and when her family brought her to the doctor, they diagnosed her with an ear infection and prescribed amoxicillin. After taking the amoxicillin, Ava broke out from head-to-toe in purple spots, and it is unknown to this day if she is allergic to amoxicillin or if was the leukemia.Ava began complaining about throat pain, which led them back to the doctor for another prescription—this time it was determined it was strep throat. A few days after she started taking the clindamycin, Ava began having leg pain which doctors said could be from strep.The pain continued and finally in March 2016, within hours of arriving at the ER, Ava and her family were informed that she had leukemia.After Ava's diagnosis, she was in the hospital for 2 months. In May 2016, she began treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic, which would last for the next two years. Ava had weekly chemotherapy treatments administered through her port, as well as oral chemotherapy drugs and steroids at home. Ava had her last

Massachusetts Representative Brad Hill was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008 during the election.During an otherwise routine physical, his doctor ordered some blood tests that led to the initial diagnosis.Representative Hill came to Dana-Farber for his care and his treatment has included participation in a clinical trial that mixed biological therapy, a stem cell transplant, and high-dose chemotherapy. He cites maintaining a positive attitude as key to his treatment.Since 1999, Representative Hill has served as the representative for the Fourth Essex District, which covers Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rowley, Topsfield, and Wenham. He also is the assistant minority leader in the House.Representative Hill has been a patient of Dr. Paul Richardson for the past 10 years.

Despite rehabbing out in Arizona, Sox' second baseman Dustin Pedroia called in to discuss the importance of the Jimmy Fund.