PatientStories Archives

After Cancer Diagnosis, Dana-Farber Staffer Makes a Platelet Promise

Tim donated platelets a few times during the first two years he worked at Dana-Farber, but his commitment to the life-saving procedure took on new meaning in 2014.

Leukemia Patient Soars to Recovery

by Dana-Farber Staff

Chris Potter was not a fan of flying, until a group of pilots he had never met transported him to his life-saving care team. Potter, then 42, was struggling through a relapse of acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2011. His cancer was not responding to treatment, and he required at least a temporary remission to handle … Read more

Tips for Starting College During Cancer Treatment

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Stephen Perez Cancer has a way of putting your life on hold and making you prioritize your health, treatments, and your best attempts to not feel sick through the process. While there’s never a good time for this interruption, my diagnosis came at a particularly difficult time: the second semester of my senior year … Read more

For Young Cancer Survivor, Holidays Bring New Hope

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Chelsea Smith Don’t take life for granted. Each day you wake up is an amazing gift. Even though I’ve felt a lot of pain in my life, it’s made me stronger. I’ve always been hopeful for tomorrow, and sometimes that hope pays off. My roller coaster started when I was 15 months old and … Read more

Coast Guard Veteran and Lymphoma Patient Finds Strength in Community

by Dana-Farber Staff

Evan Lavigne was part of tight-knit units, both as a high school hockey player and a member of the United States Coast Guard. And when the 24-year-old learned in January that he had lymphoma – just one week before entering the police academy – teammates were there to support him. Lavigne, already a conditional member … Read more

How to Care for a Partner with Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Patrick Steele Elaine needs a caregiver? That’s outrageous. She is a very independent and courageous woman. But as her husband and partner, I had to step into this role when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. When Elaine and I first met in 2005, we stayed up late, telling stories. She showed me the … Read more

First Day of Cancer Treatment: Young Adult Shares Her Experience [Video]

by Dana-Farber Staff

From understanding medical jargon to experiencing “scanxiety,” entering a cancer center for the first time can be overwhelming. For young adults starting to establish their independence, the experience can be especially intimidating. Having a care team you know and trust, and seeking psychosocial support in the form of counseling or support groups, can help many … Read more

Five Tips for Facing a Rare Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Becky Sail At age 22, I was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma called aggressive angiomyxoma – say that 10 times fast. When my parents and I got the news we asked the doctor, “Is it cancer?” He responded, “That is a complicated question.” He said he had never seen it before and I needed … Read more

Young Adult Shares Tips for Coping with Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Carolyn Ridge On June 1, 2012, at the age of 30, I was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. The physical toll cancer took on my body was difficult, forcing me into early menopause, but I was even less prepared for the emotional side effects cancer would bring, including the depression I experienced throughout … Read more

My Lifetime Movie: How Cancer Changed Me

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Deb Norris My life plays like a Lifetime movie. I was born tall, blonde, with big breasts (note – they later tried to kill me). I was the straight-A cheerleader who dated the captain of the football team and became a corporate executive. Friends teased me that I lived a charmed life. Then at … Read more

Breast Cancer Survivor Barbara Stinson Turns to Nature and Photography

by Dana-Farber

To most people, a flower is just a flower. To 70-year-old Barbara Stinson, flowers represent beauty, energy and positivity. A two-time breast cancer survivor, she has combined her passions of gardening and photography in her new book, “PINK PETALS: A Focus on Healing through a Gallery of Flowers.” Each of the 80 pages of the … Read more

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ‘Proud to be a Cancer Survivor’

by Dana-Farber Staff

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh recently gave the keynote address at Dana-Farber’s Living Proof: Celebrating Survivorship event. He shared his experience as a child being treated for Burkitt’s lymphoma at Dana-Farber and Boston Children’s Hospital. Below are some excerpts from his speech: I was diagnosed with cancer at age 7. I went through treatment for almost four years. At … Read more

The ‘ATEs’: What Helps Me Get Through Treatment Days

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Alex Niles Alex Niles was diagnosed with Stage IV gastric cancer in fall 2013, at age 30. He holds an undergraduate degree from Drexel University, where he was a Division 1 scholarship athlete, and a graduate degree from Fordham University. He writes about his cancer experience on his blog, Smiles for Niles and his … Read more

Act of Kindness Sparks Friendship Between Two Neighbors

by Dana-Farber Staff

Those passing them in the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care at Dana-Farber may assume Pamela Desmarais is a dutiful daughter taking her elderly father to his appointments. They certainly look the part, but while Pamela Desmarais cares for 84-year-old prostate cancer patient Donald Segur, there is no familial bond between these two neighbors from East … Read more

Young Patient Inspires with Fashion and Beauty Blog

by Dana-Farber Staff

When 15-year-old Karina Moreira sat down with Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen in December 2013, the two traded beauty tips, talked fashion, and took turns applying makeup. They spoke in their native Portuguese and laughed with family and friends. The experience, Moreira says, one that she will remember for the rest of her life. But the … Read more

Living Life

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Jack Coates

In May 2001, I was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. I was 19 years old and had just finished my freshman year at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.

Medulloblastoma is a cancer that affects the brain and the spine. I had three surgeries, 52 weeks of chemo, and six weeks of radiation. I spent a year and two months in the hospital and went from 217 pounds to 97. I was scared. I was asking God: “Why? Why did it have to happen to me?” It was shocking. Many things went through my mind.

A Tattoo and a Bulldog: How One Family Coped with Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Cindy Coyle

My husband Bill was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in January 2012. Needless to say it was a great shock to us and our three children, Billy, Sasha-Lee, and Jimmy.

Looking back, I realize how two unlikely events guided us through his treatment and recovery: a tattoo and a bulldog.

When It Comes To Fighting Leukemia, This Patient Says, “Sharpen your Sword”

by Dana-Farber

By Buck Rogers

When I woke up from a 40-minute operation to remove a lymph node from my neck, my Ear, Nose & Throat surgeon approached me with another doctor and said, “I’d like you to meet your oncologist.” My life instantly changed; I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

After about six weeks of being scared, wondering how much time was left, trying to figure out what to tell our kids and our parents, my wife and I decided that the only choice was to fight as hard as we could. I started by running up and down Village Street in Medway, Mass., barely getting a mile before feeling winded. But the thought of doing nothing was even more frightening, so I kept running.

A History of Holiday Celebrations

by Dana-Farber

While the winter holidays are a festive time of year, they can also be very challenging for individuals and families undergoing cancer treatment. Dana-Farber has always tried to make the season a little brighter for its patients and staff.

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