Hope Begins Here

Fueled by creativity and passion, Luke plans to pursue a career in film. He already writes, produces, and edits his own short films and interviews, and composes music and performs both as a solo artist and with a band.

Runway for Recovery provides families with a continuum of support along their journey with breast cancer. We create community by hosting events and providing services that create joy and inspire hope. With shared understanding we celebrate survivors, honor legacies, and fund families who have experienced loss.

Recognizing that ovarian cancer patient may need a little extra help while undergoing treatment, the grant helps fund the Helping Hands program. The program provides meals to patients and their families while in treatment for Ovarian Cancer, with free healthy and easy to prepare meals.

The Donald Perlman, MD Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Perlman by his wife Cynthia Perlman and family. The $5,000 scholarship was awarded in 2024 to Kaitlyn Pugh, a high school student from Saugus High School. She plans on attending Endicott College.

Christopher was originally inspired to pursue a medical degree by his younger brother Timothy, who has downs syndrome and is also on the autism spectrum. Then, while in high school, his father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and spent a lot of time in hospitals. Consequently, Christopher saw first-hand the positive impact physicians have on their patients. Despite the difficult circumstances at the time, he recognized this remarkable environment was the one for him.

The Sun Safety/Skin Cancer Prevention program works to reduce the incidence of skin cancer by offering free prevention education and free skin cancer screenings to the public in Dana-Farber’s Blum Family Resource Center Van. All screenings are performed by a board-certified Brigham and Women’s Hospital dermatologist on board the van.

Jayden’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, and went through 18 months of extensive treatment of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. He said that “cancer taught him to be grateful for those who love and support me, especially my mom, my biggest cheerleader.” His mother taught him that whatever life throws you, you need to stay positive and roll with the punches. And his mom, though not feeling well through treatment, attended every one of his hockey and lacrosse games.

Last year, in Ryan’s second semester of junior year, he was diagnosed with cancer, requiring surgery and chemotherapy. Weightlifting was usually his coping mechanism, but he was unable to continue with weightlifting due to side effects from the chemotherapy. Undeterred, Ryan says, “regarding cancer’s impact on my future goals, it has only fueled my ambitions.”

During her junior year, Giuliana’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer—a life-changing event that reaffirmed her passion for medicine. At the time, she was already volunteering weekly at Beth Israel Lahey Outpatient Center, assisting nurses in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit. This personal experience deepened her commitment to oncology, leading her to complete 60 hours as a Radiation Oncology Intern in Peabody. She now aspires to become a Radiation Oncologist.

The goal of the program is to prevent death by cancer among youth. The objectives are to teach high school students how to identify irregularities in their health, advocate for and obtain timely care, and live a healthy lifestyle. The program focuses on equipping students with essential knowledge about what signs to look for, how to self-advocate, and instills the ability and confidence to actively participate in their own healthcare.