The Goldsteins plan to write the book’s preface. They have reached out to hundreds of Valerie Fund patients to help create a meaningful footnote to four decades of treating children with cancer and blood disorders. The book will be a true collaboration of voices sharing their messages of life and should resonate with readers in a very inspiring way.
During treatment, The Valerie Fund provided great opportunities for me to have fun and be the child I truly was. My favorite memories all stem from Camp Happy Times. It was always such a fantastic week spent with amazing people I could relate to during that time and they would feel like family by the end. After my treatment was over The Valerie Fund represented, and still does, a group of people that can be considered family who still offer great ways to stay involved and connected. It means that there is always a place where other people hold empathy for what we went through. - Cassidy
Publication will coincide with the 25th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala in November, 2016 which will be honoring The Valerie Fund's 40 Years of caring for children with cancer and blood disorders. We can reflect on the 40th Anniversary of the founding of The Valerie Fund and be proud of the fact that thousands of critically ill children and their families were not alone as they navigated the many challenges faced following a devastating diagnosis of cancer or a blood disorder. This inspiring collection of stories by our survivors will be just one of the ways we will honor the past 40 years of achievements by The Valerie Fund.
The Valerie Fund has always been about family. When the Goldsteins founded The Valerie Fund 40 years ago, family and friends shared their vision to honor their daughter Valerie’s memory. They are so proud of the extraordinary care each and every family receives at a most vulnerable time and feel that preserving a reflection of this time and what happened after treatment is significant. Their hope is that many will choose to be part of this mindful experience.
One early responder, Joseph, is a 20 year survivor of testicular cancer. Diagnosed at 17, he has since graduated from Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and received a MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President at a boutique media and marketing consulting firm. His observations (excerpted below) speak to this author’s courage, acceptance and strength. It is a special gift and readers will be privileged to learn from each writer’s perspective.
It’s hard to describe how cancer can send a 17-year-old kid out of orbit but the doctors and nurses at The Valerie Fund Center (at St. Barnabas) were the constants that helped me make sense of my illness. Getting better can be such a painful experience---The Valerie Fund helped me realize I wasn’t alone. I knew I had an army of brilliant, caring people working to make sure I didn’t only beat my illness but that I also was to keep my dignity and sense of self throughout the process.
My experience with cancer has given me a different perspective on my life. I’m happy for what I have and realize I’m lucky for the people in my life who care. - Joseph
These inspiring stories are just some of many that we plan to share with you in "The Voices Cancer and Blood Disorders Couldn't Silence: Where They Are Now."
