Gratitude to Giving: Celebrating remission by supporting pediatric cancer research
Sonnie's remission inspires her family to give back, supporting Dana-Farber's pediatric cancer research through a personalized Giving Page.
"Our family wants to give back to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute after they gave us the greatest gift of all: our daughter’s life."
In 2022, Sonnie was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL). Her family was referred to Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic where she has been receiving treatment for the last two years. Today, Sonnie is 5 years old and recently completed her last treatment! To celebrate her remission and show appreciation for the incredible care they received, Sonnie’s parents, Jill and Michael, created a Giving Page, a personalized fundraising page that allows their friends and family to directly support pediatric cancer research and care at Dana-Farber.
“The past two years have been incredibly hard for our family,” Michael explains. “As we got closer to Sonnie’s remission, we looked for ways to simultaneously find joy and give back. Creating a Giving Page was an easy way to start, and it allows us to celebrate Sonnie’s remarkable strength and spirit while honoring the strength of other patients and families navigating cancer.”
Jill and Michael remember walking into the Jimmy Fund Clinic for the first time and feeling optimistic about their daughter’s treatment. They recall seeing welcoming lights, toys, decorations, and, most importantly, smiles from staff, families, and patients. As they navigated the emotional and physical toll of Sonnie’s diagnosis, they discovered a profound sense of community, and visiting the clinic for treatment soon held very special memories for Sonnie’s family.
“From the person at the check-in counter who never failed to laugh at Sonnie’s costume of the day or put a special sticker on her ID tag, to the world-class care teams who made sure she felt comfortable, we are so lucky to have received the best care possible at Dana-Farber,” Michael says. “Even in the halls and elevators, we came to appreciate these little profound moments, like sharing wry humor with another set of parents as we push our kids in strollers to treatment, or watching Sonnie exchange smiles with a more senior patient as they compare their dwindling hair.”
Because of the groundbreaking research taking place at Dana-Farber and around the world, nearly 90% of patients diagnosed with ALL attain remission. While Jill and Michael are grateful that Sonnie is in remission, they know there is still work to be done to defy cancer in its entirety. Through their Giving Page, they hope to inspire others to join them in raising critical funds that will change the lives of other cancer patients and their families.
“Accompanying Sonnie on her journey, knowing every family there is fighting their own battle, there is an unspoken kinship at Dana-Farber that somehow propels you forward,” Jill says. “I think it says a lot that Sonnie always looked forward to going to the clinic.”
During Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, you can support patients like Sonnie by joining The Dana-Farber Campaign, our ambitious, multi-year fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer. The Dana-Farber Campaign will accelerate the Institute’s strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise. As a community, we have the power to create a more hopeful, cancer-free future—in Boston and around the world. Together, we can defy cancer at every turn. Learn more about The Dana-Farber Campaign and how you can get involved at DefyCancer.org.
