The Blog

Dr. & Mrs. Jonathan & Teri Hall at the 7^th annual Hope Begins Here Awards reception put on at Spinelli’s in Lynnfield by the Boston North Cancer Association on Thursday Evening,  May 4^th, 2017

Teri Hall is a board member of this organization whose mission is to provide North Shore communities with resources for cancer treatment, prevention, education and care.  They have provided more than $1 Million in funding to support cancer treatment, prevention, education and care for North Shore residents.

The program included a tribute in honor of Teri’s parents, Dr. Bruce and Gloria Dunn, who both succumbed to cancer.

The Hope Begins Here award for 2017 was presented to Dr. Noel P. Defelippo, MD, in honor of his dedicated and compassionate care for patients with urological cancer.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of scholarships.

The David J. Solimine Sr honorary scholarship is given to a college bound North Shore high School senior who is a cancer survivor o is undergoing treatment for cancer.  Alicia Luongo of Saugus High School Class of 2017 received a $3500 scholarship that she will be using to study nursing at  Quinnipiac University.  Cassidy Woods   of Bishop Fenwick high School Class of 2017 also received a $3500 scholarship to study nursing at Scared Heart University.  Both young women had moving stories of their personal struggles with cancer.

The Hope Begins here Scholarship of $3500 is awarded to a college-bound North Shore high school senior whose parent was diagnosed with cancer or has passed away as a result of cancer.  This was presented to Arthur Kautz of Swampscott high School class of 2017 who is attending Northeastern University in the fall, and hopes to study biomedical engineering and robotics.  A poignant story was related of Arthur’s father, who was diagnosed with a progressive brain tumor early in Arthur’s high school years, but has done better than expected with his treatment and will live to see Arthur’s high school graduation.

The F. John Bargoot, MD Memorial Scholarship for $7500 is awarded to a medical school student who resided and completed high school on the North Shore and has an interest in cancer treatment and prevention, and was given to Stewart Pine, who is from the Newburyport high School class of 2010 and is now attending Medical School in Chicago at Northwestern university.  The check was presented to his mother.

Another highlight of the evening was the return of Erin Curley, the Hope Begins Here scholarship winner of 2016 who is studying Economics and Social work at Simmons College, and gave a touching speech about what the scholarship has meant to her.

Nathan Bankoff of the Lynnfield High school Class of 2006 and who was the 2014 Bargoot Scholarship recipient also attended the event.  He will be graduating from Tufts University School of Medicine in a few weeks and will be starting. Family Practice residency in Portland Maine this fall.

Dr. & Mrs. Hall were pleased to have Nathan, Alicia  Luongo and her family, as well as Erin Curley and her mother seated at their table for the event.

Some of the BNCA program grants were also highlighted at the event.  A BNCA grant is given to Ironstone Farm Equine Encounter to offer one-day retreats for cancer survivors, using the palliative power of horses to remind cancer survivors of their own strength.

A BNCA grand is given to Diane’s Pen Pals, a non-profit that supports cancer patient care by providing “go to bags” with care items to cancer patients receiving treatment at hospitals on the north Shore. The bags include a special pillow case hand sewn by Diane’s sister, and the bags are meant to reinforce that each patient is cared about as an individual

BNCA has also made a grant to the LIVESTRONG program at the Torigian Family YMCA-Peabody for Adult Cancer Survivors- a wellness program designed to help adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and well-being following a cancer diagnosis.

A BNCA grant to the Melanoma Foundation to Provide Facial Scanners in 26 North Shore High Schools was also highlighted.  The facial scanners are an educational tool to help young people understand the damaging effects of the sun, by seeing layers of the skin not visible to the naked eye.

Another popular BNCA grants provide Radiant Wraps for patients undergoing radiation treatment at the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center at Lahey hospital and Medical Center. The Radiant Wraps are alternative designer gowns for breast cancer patients to wear during radiation treatments.  They are a flattering and stylish alternative to the standard hospital gowns, helping patients to feel confident, pretty and secure during their treatment.

BNCA was also a sponsor of the North Shore Cancer Walk that will take place Sunday June 25, 2017 as well as the 30^th Annual Walk for Hospice to benefit Care Dimensions on September 24, 2017

For more information on the Boston North Cancer Association you can go to the

www.bostonnorthcancer.org