Drew D’Auteuil

Active children often come home with bumps and bruises. making it hard to determine what is normal. So on June 1, 2009 when Drew D’Auteuil came home from playing soccer with a rash and unusual bruising it caused concern, but not panic for his parents Jennifer, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and Peter, a corporate pilot.

Drew saw his doctor two days later and several tests indicated that his blood counts, including platelet count, were near zero and there was concern about bleeding in his head. A medical team of nearly a dozen experts met Drew when he arrived at Children’s Hospital late on the night of June 3. Within 48 hours, Jennifer and Peter learned that Drew had aplastic anemia, a rare disease that strikes only 1-2 people per million. More commonly found in adults, this would have been a death sentence 30 years ago. Reduced to no red or white blood cells and no platelets, Drew was given a transfusion of red blood cells and platelets immediately and remained hospitalized on and off for nearly 11 weeks. His longest time home during that period was 20 hours between hospital admissions.

When he was released to go home, Drew was isolated and could not be in public places, have friends over, use hand towels, eat anything raw, enjoy leftovers or be in the same area as plants and certain animals due to the risk of infection. His older twin brothers, Kevin and Ryan, had been living with friends and neighbors most of the summer, but quickly got educated and enjoyed being together again as a family, despite living in isolation.

Drew then required a stem cell transplant and unfortunately neither of his siblings was a match. A round of immunosuppressive chemotherapy hoping to jump start his bone marrow failed. Then Drew needed to start an aggressive radiation/chemotherapy treatment before being given a stem cell transplant. This resulted in gall bladder complications and organ failure that made Drew very sick just four months after the transplant.

By January 3, 2011, Drew was back to school, but more complications prevented a full recovery to date. The next complication was graft vs. host, which also added organ challenges, particularly in his kidneys with high blood pressure as a result.

“We met the Andruzzis at Dream Camp in 2010 when the Joe Andruzzi Foundation invited Jimmy Fund patients and their families to watch a Patriots practice and meet some players afterwards. We tried to be respectful, but couldn’t resist a photograph,” said Jennifer. “Joe talked openly about his illness and genuinely was interested in our story, too. When we were invited to Codzilla in 2011, we immediately said yes and thoroughly enjoyed the outing.”

The D’Auteil’s met many people at Children’s Hospital and online through support groups. It helps to hear about other success stories.

“When you get through it, you are given an opportunity to pay it back,” continued Jennifer. “Drew’s battle is still up hill, but it’s a slight incline and not Mount Everest. This is our new normal.”

The community, school, town, and church dropped off paper towels, plastic utensils, bottled water and hand sanitizer. They even were bombarded with restaurant gift cards although few were used initially due to restrictions. Drew’s brothers held a benefit concert and when Drew returned home local moms held an ice cream sundae event in the school parking lot to celebrate his 100 day milestone post transplant.

“It’s humbling and tough to accept help even though no one looks for repayment. We kept our eyes on the end game of getting Drew better,” said Peter. “If you have faith, hang on to it as sometimes it’s the only thing to carry you through the rough times.”

Samantha Bourque

An athletic child, Samantha and her family always attributed her knee pain to softball or from “growing pains.” After graduating high school, she set off for Bryant University with interests in psychology, sociology and finance.

Just after returning from winter break, Samantha could no longer sleep on her side and struggled to walk. Thinking it was a muscle or nerve problem, she went for an MRI. The diagnosis was clear cell sarcoma that left a hole in the top of her femur the size of a silver dollar. Any higher, Samantha would have broken her hip and any lower she would have shattered her leg.

The only possibility was a 14 hour surgery to replace her femur with a metal spike and allograft bone. As a result, Samantha has lost a lot of her range of motion and leg mass. This means she can’t touch past her knee, put on her shoes or other routine things we take for granted. Samantha used crutches to walk and covered them in sparkles that got a reaction from everyone she met.

Too old for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Samantha dreamed of meeting some of her football heroes like Rob Gronkowski and Stephen Gostkowski. Fortunately, her aunt and uncle surprised Samantha with a ticket to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation gala. Joe asked Samantha if she had a sports injury and she shared her short cancer story.

“In the few minutes we talked I felt so special because Joe was focused on me and only cared about my story,” said Samantha Bourque. “For the first time, I felt like Samantha the survivor not just another sad story. I also will never forget meeting the Patriots players, who all signed my football. It was a dream come true!”

Forced to quit her job while undergoing treatment, Samantha frequently felt guilty that her parents became responsible for both school and car payments. The car and mortgage payments from the Joe Andruzzi Foundation reduced the stress level tremendously. Samantha focused on getting well and starting school again.

“I never let cancer take over my life,” continued Samantha. “The best thing to do is keep a sense of normalcy. For me, it’s singing, dancing, reading and scrapbooking. This is all the normal kid stuff.”

Ethan Bairos

Who hasn’t had a sick child during the end of year holiday season? Debbie and Manny Bairos took the reports of leg and belly pain seriously because rarely did their seven-year-old son Ethan complain. The results of an emergency room visit for x-rays followed by an appointment with their pediatrician for blood tests showed abnormal cells. So they started 2011 with an appointment at Children’s Hospital and received an unexpected diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Thanks to a quick and accurate course of action, the leukemia didn’t blast into his blood. Unfortunately, it is in his spine and other bones. So far, Ethan has spent 40 days in the hospital for chemotherapy, overcome many bone marrow aspirations and several spinal taps.
Not only do the Bairos’ alternate caring for Ethan, but also take care of his younger sister Madelyn and work on their recently purchased, “fixer upper” house. Financial concerns started to arise when Debbie was unable to work at her job as a Pampered Chef consultant and Manny’ was reduced to part-time hours as a Jordan’s Furniture Team Leader until Ethan is through with his two-year treatment.

Debbie appreciated the overwhelming generosity of family and friends, but also turned to foundations for help. Through a family member, she applied online and received a mortgage payment from the Joe Andruzzi Foundation that made a tremendous difference financially by alleviating some of their concerns. They even had a chance to meet the Andruzzi family one day in the Jimmy Fund Clinic and were overwhelmed by their authenticity and compassion.

“Not only does Joe walk around the clinic and meet patients, but also he never rushes, looks you in the eyes, asks good quests and truly cares about your situation,” said Debbie Bairos. “He lets the kids try on his Super Bowl rings and takes lots of picture. Most impressive, is that he brings his whole family and shows the importance of these visits.”

Although at risk for overexposure to the sun, Ethan enjoys limited time outdoors this summer in a pool and on the annual Codzilla Ride for patients sponsored by the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. For Debbie and Manny, Codzilla was a treat for the whole family since they can’t afford “extras” right now.

“You only can take one day and one moment at a time. That’s what gets us through,” continued Debbie. “Ethan was an extremely healthy child so this took us all by surprise. My advice to parents is think positively, have faith and check things out before they progress.”

While it’s still early in their treatment cycle, the Bairos family is trying to pay it forward by starting their own foundation that helps families with children battling cancer. They want people to know that they’re not alone and the little things do matter.

Ethan is getting a lot of support from his school as well and will enter the second grade this fall. His sister just wants to return to the days when the family was all together all the time.

David Nicholson

Who believes that things happen for a reason? Lorna Marcoux, the youngest of four siblings, thinks some things are more than coincidence. Working at Greenwood Emergency Vehicles for more than 22 years, she first met Joe Andruzzi at an open house event for customers. Here Lorna heard about the work of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation.

In September 2010, Lorna’s oldest brother David fell ill with persistent flu-like symptoms, including stomach pain and nausea. While at a family dinner only one month later, David discovered a lump on his stomach. After several tests, David’s doctors found a huge mass on his liver that was bleeding and required surgery as soon as possible.

Terrified about his upcoming surgery, Lorna asked her boss for Joe’s contact information. After a brief phone call, Joe came to visit David, who was surprised and shocked to meet one of his heroes. The family took pleasure in witnessing how easily Joe and David spoke about their experiences. To capture the moment, the family took several photos of David with Joe, his Super Bowl rings and an autographed helmet. Before leaving, Joe reminded Lorna about the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and suggested that she call if the family needed anything. From that day forward, Lorna’s family never left the house without Joe’s green cancer bracelets on their arms.

Although David’s first surgery in November was successful, the cancer came back aggressively in March 2011 and spread throughout his liver. David fought bravely until the end and avoided medications so he could be alert until hours before his body shut down. Sadly, David passed away on April 30th at the young age of 49.

David had been living on his savings and his treatment was expensive. Therefore, the cost of funeral services fell upon Lorna and her siblings, Cindy and Mark Nicholson. They wanted to give David to a decent, respectable service, but that required utilizing their own savings. Before doing so, Lorna contacted the Joe Andruzzi Foundation hoping they might assist in paying a portion of the expense. To the family’s delight and surprise a check for the full amount of the funeral services was written within hours.

“We shed tears of gratitude to see a Foundation truly give back and do what it says. They really have no idea what that meant to us, especially as a wonderful honor for Dave,” said Lorna Marcoux. “I tell everyone to learn more about this Foundation and to support it. You never know when cancer will strike your family. We sure didn’t.”

David asked that his obituary read, “In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. We complied and no donation envelopes remained after David’s service. Jen even set up a link on their site for direct donations. Lorn a hopes to host a benefit that raises funds to support David’s fiancée and the rest will be sent back to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation so others can benefit, too.

Debbie Llanes

An elementary school teacher and mother of four boys ranging from 17-25 years old, Debbie Llanes was introduced to Joe and Jen Andruzzi by mutual connections during a challenging time in her life. In 2008, her youngest son, Joey, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The diagnosis was tough to digest and the treatment plan was implemented so quickly that no one had a moment to think about it.

“It was a true charitable gift that Joe Andruzzi volunteered to take time away from his own family on Christmas Eve to visit our Joey,” said Debbie Llanes. “When they finally met, Joe not only inspired Joey by sharing pictures of his own cancer battle, but also brought signed items from his Patriots teammates that touched our hearts and lifted our spirits.”

Joey never complained and set an amazing example of determination, strength and faith. He had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiation before an intense round of physical therapy to learn how to walk and talk again. This honor roll student has been cancer-free since May 2009 and caught up on his studies quickly. For his senior project, Joey is raising money for cancer research and now wants to pursue a biomedical engineering degree in college.

Focused on her family, Debbie couldn’t believe it when she felt a lump in her breast in August 2010 and delayed a mammogram until January 2011. Thanks to a referral from Joey’s doctors she was seen quickly once they realized the tumor was malignant. At first it was hard to assure her kids that she wouldn’t die, but who thought cancer would strike twice in one family so suddenly?

Fortunately, Debbie saw her son Joey attend his prom and her oldest son, Matt, get married. Debbie reminds us, “If you have any inkling that there’s something wrong, go to your doctor immediately. Cancer is non-selective so don’t think it can’t happen to you. Act quickly, stay positive and get ready for the news that you’re cancer-free!”

Jackie Mullen

Suffering from ear pain on her fourth birthday, Jackie Mullen’s parents (Julie and Steve) thought it was from a collision in her party bounce house. Although the doctor reported no ear infection, Jackie continued to suffer each night for a week before the doctor reversed that diagnosis and treated her with medicine for a month.

Lack of progress and some bleeding led them to ear, nose and throat specialists plus an MRI, which confirmed that Jackie had a cancerous tumor in her skull bone that was pressing on her ear drum as well as her brain and had broken through the ear canal. Following a biopsy, it was confirmed that this was Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disorder primarily effecting children under age 10.

A take-charge, energetic and vibrant girl, Jackie regularly helps the nurses in the Jimmy Fund clinic access her port for chemotherapy and sometimes role plays her treatment regimen with stuffed animals at home. Jackie also loves to dance. She takes ballet, tap and creative movement classes when she can and often draws an audience when showing off her moves. Unfortunately, she no longer attends pre-school, but keeps some play dates with friends.

Always the ones to help others, Julie and Steve needed to start thinking of what was best for Jackie and her two brothers – Nicholas (8) and Zachary (2). With Steve out of work, they started Jackie’s treatment with no health insurance until Mass Health kicked in. To make ends meet, Steve picked up plowing jobs and is going back to school for a building supervisor’s license while Julie makes jewelry, babysits and teaches CCD. Being connected to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation through a friend and receiving financial assistance for both a mortgage payment and a BJ’s gift certificate during Christmas time was incredible.

“We feel very fortunate to be supported by great people,” said Julie Mullen. “Jen took a big weight off of our shoulders to get through the holidays. I also was truly touched that she asked so much about Jackie and made a personal connection.”

“What Jen and Joe do for the community is extremely generous,” said Steve Mullen. “We would do anything to continue supporting our family.”
Enduring a tough regimen, Jackie maintains a cheerful disposition. She continues to engage everyone she meets and freely shares her opinions when asked. Jackie looks forward to feeling better and returning to school.

Nicole Fiset

Like so many women, Nicole Fiset put the needs of her family above her own health. Although she discovered a lump on her breast, her physician would not order a mammogram because she was younger than 40. After showing her primary care physician the lump, a mammogram and ultrasound finally were ordered. Nicole was sent to Boston from New Hampshire for diagnosis and treatment. She knew it was cancer by the way the doctors and nurses reacted.

Nicole chose a lumpectomy to get back to her two-year-old daughter more quickly. Unfortunately, her husband left her and the rest of her family was in denial. Then she had a second lumpectomy two months later when the cancer reoccurred.

A fifth grade teacher in pursuit of her doctorate in education, Nicole had to take a leave of absence for treatment. She had reactions to the chemotherapy treatments and battled some depression for nearly a year. Almost two years later on May 25, 2010, Nicole received her last treatment.

The costs of treatment, her mortgage and every day bills were enormous. Some weeks she had to make tough choices between spending money on gas or groceries, but it was hard to ask for money. Nicole applied for one grant that provided her grocery gift cards and from them learned about the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. The grant Nicole received helped pay an entire month’s mortgage.

“You always have to believe that there’s someone out there to pick you up, dust you off and get you going again,” said Nicole Fiset. “Thanks to the kindness of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation my worries were eased and I could focus on healing.”

Unfortunately, Nicole recently was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a hysterectomy. She hopes to recover in time to open her classroom again this September.

Ryan Hayes

Ryan was a typical, active little guy living a normal life with his parents and two older sisters. At the age of five, when entering Kindergarten, life changed for Ryan and his family. Ryan was diagnosed with Medulla Blastoma (pediatric brain cancer).

Ryan, now 11, has demonstrated incredible determination and strength throughout his fight against cancer. He came to school every day except when he was at the hospital for treatment. Ready to take on the challenges of the day, he was always happy and greeted everyone with his cheerful smile. Once Ryan entered third grade, he attended school for partial days due to endurance. In December 2009, Ryan’s health unfortunately began to decline and attending school was no longer possible. However, Ryan has defied all medical odds and has been supported by his loving family throughout. His dad has been at his side since his diagnosis and his mom recently took a family leave from her job to care for Ryan around the clock.

Many have helped family during this difficult time through a variety of fundraising events. A pasta dinner was held at the school and the whole community pitched in to make the night a huge success. The staff from the school prepares meals two or three times a week as their way of helping the family. For the month of October, a pumpkin was kept at the front desk and students would fill it with money from their piggy banks or allowance. It was amazing to see the generosity and caring by these students.

The 99 Restaurant in Foxboro hosted fundraisers two years in a row to help the family through the holiday season. Sadly, Ryan was hospitalized and unable to attend the second one. However, it was a huge success thanks, in part, to the appearance of Joe Andruzzi, who signed autographs, addressed attendees and mingled with Ryan’s classmates. Joe truly took a heartfelt interest in Ryan’s family and that night was the just the beginning of Joes’ efforts to help this family. After the event one of Ryan’s teachers, Janet Meeker, contacted the Joe Andruzzi Foundation to ask if Joe would visit the family personally and, of course, he did. In the spirit of helping other families battling cancer, Joe also worked with Bob’s Discount Furniture to get new bedroom furniture for Ryan’s parents and sister. After the furniture arrived, Joe contacted Michelle Almeida, The Room Makeover Queen, to put the finishing touches on the bedrooms. The Hayes family is very grateful to Joe and the kindness everyone has shown through Ryan’s difficult battle with cancer.

“Everybody can make a difference in a small way. It really doesn’t take a lot,” said Janet Meeker. “Say a prayer for Ryan and his family. Pray for all the families that have loved ones battling cancer and for those who have lost their fight.”

Kevin Rich

Kevin was a healthy and active child living at home with his parents, Cara and Walter, as well as his younger sister, Hannah. So when his parents took him to the hospital with knee pain, who would have imagined that the diagnosis would be leukemia? Then Kevin and his family learned that the treatment at Children’s Hospital would start the next day. Their lives changed in an instant.

Naturally, there were side effects and complications due to the treatment. At one point, Kevin lost 30% of his body weight and was too weak to walk. It was hard for him not to play with other kids, attend school or even go out to a movie. However, his preschool teachers and friends sent things home to make him feel included.

Cara remembers first hearing Joe Andruzzi speak at a Mansfield Relay for Life meeting. This was months before Kevin was diagnosed, yet Cara was inspired by Joe’s words. To keep Kevin thinking positively, Cara talked about other famous people that had beaten cancer. Naturally, Joe came to mind again and Cara was introduced to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation through a mother’s club mutual connection.

Three months after Kevin’s diagnosis, Joe came to visit the family. “I’d never guess that Kevin was sick, because he couldn’t stop running around the house,” said Joe. Kevin’s question to Joe was whether or not he had a port during his treatment. Joe even showed Kevin his scar and shared stories of what it was like to beat his cancer.

Joe brought his Super Bowl rings for Kevin to try on. They were so heavy that Joe had to hold up Kevin’s arm! Then a few weeks after the visit, Kevin was watching ESPN and saw a clip of Joe carrying a flag on September 11th. Kevin flew around the house in ecstasy knowing that this super hero had been in his home.

Now 5, Kevin is in the final stage of his treatment, which is less intense and takes less time at the Jimmy Fund clinic. He went back to school and started t-ball. Although his parents worry about his first cold, it’s great to see Kevin returning to his normal life. This summer Kevin will go to preschool camps and then take a trip with his family to the Outer Banks as well as Cape Cod.

“This has been a major group effort,” said Cara Rich. “I’m so thankful for the amazing support from the community, family and friends that continue to give us strength as Kevin battles this horrible disease.”

Patty Shostek

Patty Shostek met her husband, Todd, playing softball when they were teenagers and they worked retail together in Weymouth. Together they raised four beautiful daughters (now ages 9-19), who are hard-working, fun-loving and supportive of each other. As a family, they liked to vacation with memorable trips to New Hampshire, Cape Cod and even a drive to Florida, including a stop for photos at “South of the Border” in Georgia.

Just a few years ago, Patty noticed that Todd was losing weight quickly and knew something wasn’t right. After many tests, Todd was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. An orphan disease with a small patient population, it took a lot of research to get information about this type of cancer. Todd did chemotherapy and participated in clinical trials. During this time, Patty discovered inner strength for her husband, her girls and herself.

The Shosteks met the Andruzzis through mutual friends and family on the Patriot Platelet Pedalers team in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). Todd passed away one month after completing the demanding ride. Thanks to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation Patty received a funeral grant that really helped her with bills during a tough time.

“Cancer knocked, came in and we ran with it. The disease took my husband, but didn’t beat him,” said Patty Shostek. “Live. Be happy. Let’s all fight as hard as Todd did so that someday the researchers can find a cure.”