Tag Archives: research

I Need Your Help

Posted in My Stories by

 

When the emergency room doctor stepped outside after telling Mike and my parents that I had leukemia, there was precisely one thing that popped in my mind and quickly came out of my mouth, “but I want to marry Mike,” I said to all three of them. One year from today, on July 22, 2017, at a quaint inn on Cape Cod, that dream of mine will become a reality. That dream is due in large part to the the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I have about 1,000 things to thank them for but giving me a second chance at life and giving me the opportunity to marry the love of my life and start our life together brings a level of gratitude I will never be able to match. But in just over two months, on September 25th, I will symbolically try to thank the organization that essentially gave Mike and I our future, by walking in the Jimmy Fund Walk to support the ongoing programs, medicine and RESEARCH. This research is imperative to conduct so that one day all stories have a ‘happily ever after’ like mine. Tragically, today that isn’t the case for all patients that go to the Farber in hopes of fixing themselves and getting to marry their Mike. So it’s my responsibility to help and today, I’m asking you to help too by making a donation to my walk team. 
 
Any donation, big or small, truly makes a difference in the efforts of Dana Farber and their live-saving mission. On behalf of all past, current and future patients, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
 
tinyurl.com/jessysjfwalk

Lots of love & light,

Jessy

2014 vs 2016

p.s. Cheers to one year today Stevens, I love you!

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Walking for the place that saved my life. 

Posted in Inspiration by

To my lovely readers of the Inspiration Initiative,

First off, sorry I haven’t been so active lately. Life has been really busy but exciting (more to that later this week) and I’ve put writing on the back burner. But I’ll get back into it as long as anyone’s still reading it 🙂

ANYWAY, I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to walk in the Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon Walk as an effort to raise funds for Dana Farber Cancer Institute. As you know, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February 2014 and just completed treatment on March 30, 2016. I have my remission to thank for the incredible doctors, nurses and medical staff that took care of me during this long journey. I also have every single scientist, researcher and person who has ever donated to finding a treatment and cure for leukemia. 50 years ago, if I had been diagnosed with this same disease, I would have been given a few weeks to live. Instead, I was given the rest of my life. I am forever grateful to each and every person that played a difference in making my full-length life a reality. 

Beyond the actual medical advances and treatments, what else is of utmost importance are the programs and support that were offered to me and my family during the difficult two years of treatment (and continue to be offered to me). They helped set me up with prior patients of similar age, therapists, conventions, books to read at the clinic, and many other “little things” that created a space and community that I felt supported and comforted by. This is why I have chosen to walk specifically with a the Young Adults Program Team which is a program I took part in and truly found a great sense of hope and help from. The funds that we raise during the walk will in turn go towards this program and allow for future patients to continue to have this offering as well. 

So here’s my ask, if you are available on September 25, 2016, please consider walking the 5K with me in honor of all those people affected by and living with cancer. If you cannot make the walk, I would so SO appreciate your consideration of a donation. Truly, any amount helps. If you can give $5, that’s amazing. if you can give $500, that’s amazing too. Every single dollar gets us closer to a world without cancer. 

And then we can do walks just to burn calories. 

Link to my personal page.

Link to join our ‘Young Adult Program‘ Team.

Link to donate!

Lots of love & light & gratitude,

Jess

Last Chance to Help Me Raise Funds to Put an End to Cancer

Posted in My Stories by

Less than a week until the 2014 Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk. I signed up to complete the 5 mile course with many of my family and friends. It’s a cause that is obviously extremely close to my heart as it raises funds for an organization that has literally saved my life. An organization that has gone so above and beyond in their care, it astonishes me everyday and I am forever grateful. In addition to helping fund the incredible Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the monies raised will also go towards groundbreaking new research and clinical trials that are necessary to finding a CURE to this horrible disease we call cancer.

Currently, I’m on day 10 here at the Brigham due to my second flare up with pancreatitis and am still unable to walk much farther than to the bathroom without needing to use my walker. My legs and stomach have swollen so much that I am weighing about 40 pounds heavier than I should. So I’m getting a bit concerned about my 5 mile adventure being less than a week away. However, I made a commitment and I am determined to follow through with that commitment. I will cross that finish line, one way or another.

So here’s what I am asking of you– please make a donation to this wonderful cause. No amount is too small because it all adds up and all makes a difference in putting an end to cancer! If you’ve already donated to my page, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I cannot tell you how much it is appreciated.

http://www.jimmyfundwalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1086390&supid=410333929

XOXO,

Jessy