Paths of Progress, Winter/Spring 2004
'Place of hope'
The Jimmy Fund Clinic is a spiritual place. The support system there is just unbelievable, and everything is focused on the children and their families. Former patients and parents feel they can't give back enough, which is why you see so many stuffed animals, toys, and volunteers willing to give and give. These children didn't get a fair break, yet they are able to maintain a pure attitude. It's a place of hope because, as Jeny says, 'they let kids be kids.'
Madi's "hero" poster inspired participants along the route.
As a result of this experience, I've spent more time learning the molecular aspects of cancer. Part of my ongoing research had always dealt with a virus called HTLV1 that causes adult T-cell leukemia. But whereas I used to focus 90 percent of my time on HIV investigations and 10 percent on HTLV1, a good third of my lab team is now devoted to HTLV1 — very important molecular aspects of which will likely become common for many cancers.
I've also become an advocate for other parents of children diagnosed with ALL. When they call, I try to give them the reassurance that comes from living through and surviving this disease. I also share my personal experiences with those who don't quite understand that it can happen to a doctor, too. It gives them some comfort to learn they are not alone.
My family's story is a happy one. Madi's chemotherapy ended last September, and this spring she'll only need to come in for checkups every other month. I believe this is a lifetime treatment, however, because your immune system emerges weakened from cancer therapy.
Still, we know we're lucky. Last June, I gave a speech at the annual "Pacesetter" dinner held for top fundraisers in the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, and it was hard to relive the emotions. Madi was in the front row with Jeny and all our kids, then climbed into my arms at the end. She concluded the speech by reaching up to the microphone and saying, 'Thank you all for helping kids like me get better.'
For her father, it was an incredibly proud moment.
