• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
    • Subscribing to Inside Press Magazines
    • Issue Archives
    • Site Map
  • Cover Stories
    • Chappaqua Cover Stories
    • Armonk Cover Stories
  • Happenings
    • Westchester
  • Inside My New Castle
  • Just Between Us
    • Chappaqua Just Between Us
    • Armonk Just Between Us
    • From the Editor
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Health & Fitness
  • Single & Smart
  • Et Cetera
    • Worth a Thousand Words

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • New Castle News
    • New Castle Releases
  • North Castle News
    • North Castle Releases
  • Discover New Castle
  • Gotta Have Arts
    • Book Excerpts
  • Lifestyles with our Sponsors
    • Sponsor News!
    • Words & Wisdoms From Our Sponsors
  • Advertise
    • Answers to Your Questions, or Contact Us!
    • Subscribing to Inside Press Magazines

cancer

COMEDY KIDS: Telling jokes to fight cancer

November 1, 2016 by The Inside Press

8-year-old boys trying to prove laughter truly is the best medicine

roaring-brook-3rd-graders-fight-cancer-with-humorWhat do you get when you cross two Third Graders, some side splitting jokes, and a fundraiser? One step closer to curing pediatric brain cancer!

Eight-year-old friends and classmates, Max Chwatko and Alex Travin, have created Comedy Kids to raise much needed funds for pediatric brain cancer research. When Max’s little sister, Scarlett, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the twosome were compelled to take action. They began telling jokes to fellow students in exchange for a donation to charity. When classmates began donating bags of allowance money, the duo decided to take the show on the road.

“When my sister got sick with cancer it felt like my responsibility to help raise money for cancer research,” said Max. “Being funny is a big part of our life and it helps us not feel so sad about the cancer, and I like how jokes come to life when I tell them.”

The pair’s first gig will be at the Chappaqua Farmer’s Market on November 5, from 9:30-noon. Every penny raised will go to A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure (AKBTC), which has roots in their Chappaqua community, and which also funds essential research for kids like Scarlett.

“Jokes are really funny and make people happy,” said Alex. “And by telling them in school for a donation it was like all the kids in class were helping other kids.”

For those who cannot make it to the farmers market event donations can be made online. For any gift of $20 or more Max and Alex will send a personalized, knee-slapping video joke to donors.
“It’s so inspiring when kids take it upon themselves to support a cause near and dear to their hearts,” remarked Kim Gilman Director of Development/Family Outreach of AKBTC. “Cancerous brain tumors are the number-one cancer related death in children, yet pediatric brain cancer research is drastically underfunded and no significant advances in treatment have been made in the past 25 years. Private funding for promising research is what gives us all hope for a cure for children battling this horrible disease.”

For information please contact comedykidsny@gmail.com

To support Comedy Kids and make an online donation please visit: akidsbraintumorcure.donordrive.com

Learn more about Comedy Kids and follow them on social media

Comedy Kids Facebook page

Farmers Market event page, market located at the Chappaqua, NY, train station

Instagram

Twitter

ABOUT COMEDY KIDS

Max Chwatko credits his sense of humor to his grandfather who is “probably the funniest person on earth.” He is also inspired by Will Ferrell, The Three Stooges, Austin Powers and Billy Eichner. Original joke by Max: Why are noses in good shape? They run!

Alex Travin’s comedic influences include Uncle Joey Gladstone of Full House fame, Mork from Ork, The State and Gilligan, the bumbling first mate of the SS Minnow. His favorite joke of the moment: How do you drown a hipster? In the mainstream!

ABOUT A KIDS’ BRAIN TUMOR CURE FOUNDATION

Cancerous brain tumors are the number one cancer related death in children. Current treatments are toxic, cause permanent cognitive and physical impairments, and severely diminish quality of life. Pediatric brain cancer research is severely under-funded, and as a result, there have been no new treatment breakthroughs in 25 years. The mission of A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure (AKBTC/PLGA Foundation) is to raise funds and awareness for scientific research leading to new, promising treatments and a cure for children’s brain cancer. For more information, visit www.akidsbraintumorcure.org; contact info@akidsbraintumorcure.org; or connect on social media at www.facebook.com/PLGAFoundationAKBTC/, or #AKBTC or @PLGA

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: A Kids' Brain Tumor Cure, cancer, comedy kids, funny, Humor, pediatric brain cancer

Spinning to Save Lives

October 21, 2016 by Deborah Raider Notis

ia-n-spin-story-2

On September 15, spin instructor Lisa Gagliardi led a spin class at Equinox to raise money for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Sponsored by the William Raveis Charitable Fund, approximately 30 people participated in “Spin for a Cure” to raise research money and greater awareness of cancer research.

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation was started in 1946 by the famous radio personality Walter Winchell following the sportswriter Runyon’s death from throat cancer. Winchell led the foundation in honor of his friend until 1972. He was supported by fellow celebrities, including Milton Berle, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Hope.  Since its inception, the Damon Runyon Foundation has been responsible for proving the correlation between cigarette smoking and cancer, developing a cure for a patient with Stage IV melanoma via immunotherapy, and founding innovative biotech companies like Juno Therapeutics and Sunesis Pharmaceuticals.

Last year, Bill Raveis, owner of the William Raveis Real Estate company, became involved with the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation after attending a breakfast presentation in Manhattan for the foundation. He was greatly impressed by the foundation’s enthusiasm towards and devotion to finding cures for cancer. The Runyon Foundation gives young scientists significant funding and opportunities to pursue dedicated cancer research indefinitely.

“I believe that all of us, in some form or another, have been affected by cancer, either personally or through family and friends,” notes Lisa Theiss, the Vice President of Business Development at William Raveis’s Armonk office.  Bill Raveis is one of those people. “Bill’s wife, Candy, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia 18 months ago, which makes this cause even more personal for him,” states Theiss, who spear-headed this event with her co-worker Lauren Goldenberg and the Armonk office administrator, Robin Lechner. Bill and Candy are witnessing, first-hand, the miraculous results of new research and targeted drug therapies.

Every year, members of the William Raveis family participate in a Ride and Walk event that takes place in Norwalk, Connecticut to support the fight against cancer. This year, William Raveis’s 130 offices throughout the country were charged with finding effective ways to fundraise to support the Damon Runyon Foundation. The Armonk office, in an effort to engage family, friends, and the community, decided to host “Spin for a Cure.” Theiss hopes this is the first of many “Spins” hosted by the Armonk office.

Raveis realtors Patricia Del Vecchio and Sandra Scarano contacted family, friends, and clients to participate in the event. “Everyone was very eager and happy to join us for this great cause,” notes Scarano, who is also a personal trainer. Del Vecchio concurred, “It is extremely important to us to do something to help people, and so many people’s lives are touched by cancer.”

The class was led by Equinox spin instructor Lisa Gagliardi. “Lisa has a great energy and played the perfect music,” says Scarano. This was Del Vecchio’s first time participating in a spin class, and she found Gagliardi extremely motivating. “I am definitely going to try another one of her classes.”

“A cure for cancer is very personal and a very big deal for everyone,” says Theiss, who believes that this is a critically important cause in which most people are heavily invested. Between innovative research and dedication to fundraising, the Damon Runyon Foundation is focused on finding a cure for this disease, which takes too many lives. And William Raveis’s Armonk office is doing its part to help.

Deborah Raider Notis is a writer and co-owner of gamechangernow.com, a free referral service connecting Westchester families to highly qualified instructors. Deborah’s writing can be found in the Inside publications as well as in suburbanmisfitmom.com.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: cancer, Damon Runyon Cancer Research, spin, William Raveis

“Incredible Progress” Two Words about Pediatric Cancer We Love to Hear

February 2, 2014 by The Inside Press

By Jamie Lober

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is a special place that has been treating kids in the area for over 30 years.  “If you look back when our division first started, the outcomes for kids with pediatric cancers in general were not as optimistic as they are today,” said Jessica Hochberg, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the hospital’s pediatric hematology/oncology and stem cell transplant division.

Especially in the last 20 years, there has been incredible progress in the doctors’ ability to treat the kids.  “With newer agents and approaches, we are turning the table to curing the majority of pediatric cancers in a way that is not devastating to the rest of their health and they are growing up to be healthy, happy, productive adults with families and careers,” said Hochberg. Kids tolerate therapies well with few exceptions and get back to school and other activities in time, she added.

slide1“The best example is pediatric leukemia because back in the 1950s and 60s that disease was uniformly fatal and there was not much we could do; now, with newer agents and combinations of medicines today, we are curing over 90 percent and we can do it without radiation or high dose chemotherapy,” said Hochberg.

 Little Heroes

The doctors describe these kids as heroes and are glad to offer them a team of assistants in the fight including nurses, social workers and clinical coordinators. Kids come back doing well after they are done with treatments and are sometimes proclaimed as cured.  It is rewarding for the doctors to watch them grow healthy and transition into adults.  Every child tackles a different quest.

“The most common cancers in pediatrics are the leukemias, in particular acute lymphoblastic leukemia, closely followed by various brain tumors for which there is also a lot of progress made in surgical techniques, radiation techniques and chemotherapy combinations,” said Hochberg.

The statistics may alarm you.  “Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly and spares no ethic group, socioeconomic class or geographic region,” said Gillian Kocher, public relations director for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. Families rely on the politicians to keep research funded and on the scientists to continue the good work they are doing. “Worldwide, an estimated 263,000 new cases of cancer affect children under the age of 20 each year,” said Kocher.

It’s a small number of kids who get cancer compared to adults but pediatric oncology centers have been able to collaborate nationally and internationally to find clinical trials and share information, expertise and treatment strategies. “This way we can identify best combinations of treatments and the treatment becomes uniform throughout the country at the different centers,” said Hochberg. Some kids’ tumors are more resistant than others but there has been a big development of supporting research that looks at the specific biology of tumors and determines what made the tumor cell become a cancer cell. It is used to identify new targets and drugs to use.

There is a lot being investigated such as biological differences that can vary even among the same disease patient to patient. With two patients with the same disease and biology, one may do well and another will not.  “There is still a great deal we have to learn about why that is but I always tell families that there was nothing they did to cause it and there is nothing they can do to prevent it,” said Hochberg.

The most dramatic trend is the number of cancer survivors doctors are seeing as they get better treatments.  “An interesting direction the field is going in is how to deal with the later effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment in childhood as an adult,” said Hochberg. New treatment options tend to have less toxicity on the healthy tissues in the body.  “Exciting developments that we are actively researching and participating in here are looking at cellular and antibody therapies and manipulating the immune system to better fight off the cancer,” she added.

The community is supportive of patients and has done blood drives and fundraising to help with medical costs. They are also interested in the new findings. “There are a lot of cellular treatments where we can take immune cells from the patient or sometimes from a donor and manipulate those to become cancer-fighting cells and give those back to the patient after we have manipulated them in various ways,” said Hochberg. This has been well-tolerated.

The “Take Home” Message

Doctors want the take home message to be that although they realize childhood cancer is scary, they do plan to cure kids.  “We want to be as open as possible while at the same time always giving them hope and reassurance that we will get them through this,” said Hochberg.

Often the fear of what the treatment will be is usually worse than the treatment itself. When patients have a great response to therapies, doctors see relief and fear subsides.

Doctors highlight that pediatric oncology is such a different field today than it used to be. “The biggest misconception is that obviously this is a devastating disease that you would never want your child to go through but I think people need to know that from the time they were kids compared to now it is so different and really is a field full of hope and good much more than the sadness that comes along with it,” said Hochberg.  Families are encouraged to get involved and spread the word about research efforts.

Jamie Lober, President of Talk Health with Jamie, is a nationally known speaker and writer with a passion for providing information on health topics A-Z. She can be reached at talkhealthwithjamie@gmail.com.

Resources for Families

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, 
department of pediatric oncology, westchestermedicalcenter.com/mfch

(914) 493-7997

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation alexslemonadestand.org

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society lls.org

(914) 949-0084

American Cancer Society cancer.org

(914) 949-4800

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: cancer, kids, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, pediatric leukemia

Support “My Hope Chest”at ICD Jewelry on December 6

December 4, 2013 by The Inside Press

Hope-chestBy Virginia Shasha

Last December, my world stopped, with words one hopes never to hear: breast cancer. Through denial, fear, anger, tears, I was determined to survive.

My friends, family, and ICD colleagues supported me throughout my treatments.  I took my life back, and returned to work, coming out on Community Day: I was overwhelmed by the support of my Chappaqua friends.

I found a way to “pay it forward.” There is a small foundation, My Hope Chest, that raises money for reconstructive surgery for uninsured women, most of whom do not enjoy the encouragement I was so fortunate to have. Varda has graciously offered to help aid them through ICD. We will be holding a special event at the store for the benefit of My Hope Chest on Friday, December 6th.

I gratefully wish everyone who expressed their cares a healthy year filled with life’s joys.

For more information, visit www.myhopechest.org

Virginia Shasha is a 
Chappaqua resident and 
director of private sales at ICD Contemporary Jewelry.

Filed Under: In and Around Town Tagged With: cancer, fund raising

The Power of C – More Than A Vitamin at the Center

December 4, 2013 by The Inside Press

By Vicki de Vries

The Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at Northern Westchester Hospital
The Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at Northern Westchester Hospital

This year, an estimated one-and-a-half-million Americans will be diagnosed with some type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. That dreaded C word strikes fear in the hearts of the most stalwart among us.

But thanks to the Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center (the Center) at Northern Westchester Hospital, fear has been replaced with relief. And in many cases, healing–as thousands have found what one patient calls “a safe haven.”

What kind of care does every patient in the world want? Most likely, these closely-linked C words: competent, coordinated, customized, convenient, and compassionate, all of which spell e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-c-e.  In the process of touring the Center, speaking with numerous staff members and therapists, along with a few patients, Inside Chappaqua was pleased to discover this word exists nearby.

Skilled Professionals Provide Competent, Customized, Coordinated Care

When it comes to competent care, the Center excels. The therapists and staff are highly trained professionals. Asked how he would describe the team, head oncologist (cancer physician) Dr. Alfred Tinger, who has worked at the Center since it opened in 2005, put it succinctly: “Knowledgeable, personable, dedicated, experienced, eager to serve,” adding that “we certainly strive to make their lives and the lives of their families easier during this time. This is why we exist.”

Any successful enterprise has to maintain careful protocols. Of supreme importance is the accumulation of data about a patient’s cancer profile obtained through either the linear accelerator, which provides radiation treatment to the exact location of the cancer cells, and the gamma knife, which is not a knife at all, but a highly sophisticated, non-invasive device for treating a broad spectrum of brain lesions. Once data has been sent to resident medical physicist, Steve Iorio, he and the staff analyze it to determine the precise dose of radiation needed to treat the cancer and avoid critical organs. Therapists work closely with the technology team to ensure the highest level of quality diagnosis and treatment.

It should be no surprise that after visiting the Center, oncologists from the “sophisticated” hospitals in Manhattan, impressed with equipment and staff, will refer their Westchester patients to the Center for radiation treatments. That endorsement speaks for itself.

A Major Stress Reducer–

Conveniently Located Care

Before the Center opened, cancer patients in Northern Westchester often had to make a long trek to find quality care. Now, with the Center offering the same professional, state-of-the-art care as renowned but more distant hospitals, travel time for these cancer patients has been drastically reduced–and their stress levels as well.

When diagnosed with Cancer, Beth Besen chose to work with a Manhattan-based oncologist who specialized in her rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Finding travel to the city twice every three weeks for chemotherapy hard enough, she was adamant about finding an alternative place for daily radiation.

Besen was relieved and grateful the Center was able to meet and administer the same quality protocol she’d receive in the city. Soothing surroundings and caring staff made treatment more tolerable, while staying local meant less stress and more time to recover and go about her daily routine.

Setting a Standard for Compassionate Patient Care

Certainly, many fine hospitals provide competent, coordinated, customized, conveniently located cancer care to their patients, but some would argue that compassion is often lacking in healthcare.

The Center proves otherwise. What sets it apart is not only its “high tech” level of competence, but also its “high touch” level of compassion. The staff and the therapists express a strong sense of empathy with their patients. “We’re all family here” is the oft-repeated mantra, but it sounds and seems genuine.

Start with the Twigs Healing Garden. Unlike typically sterile-looking hospital waiting rooms, Twigs reminds one of a spa. Patients await their radiation treatments dressed in waffle-weave robes while sitting on comfortable furniture, surrounded by plants under an atrium-like ceiling that allows light to enter the spacious room. “The setting was designed to be bright and airy to help patients feel more relaxed and confident,” said Adele Gargano, director of the Center. A nearby table holds the Healing Crane Tree, painted tree branches from which hang colorful origami cranes. Hope Soars Over All cards in a glass bowl offer inspirational words, and patients are encouraged to share theirs on blank cards. Bowls of fresh fruit and cookies add a homey touch. Once a week, a pianist plays soothing sounds to enhance the already relaxing atmosphere.

Integrative medicine “modalities” are also incorporated into the Center’s cancer treatment protocol. Anne E. West, the integrative medicine nurse, offers massage, acupuncture, and reflexology to patients who want them. Coordinating medical and integrative treatments in one place saves patients precious time and energy.

Details count, and the Center has worked hard to consider as many as possible. One patient shared with Besen, “when you’re lying scared on the table, look up; notice they even took the time to put tropical flowers above you so you’d have something beautiful to look at.” Details like this may be why customer satisfaction ranks high on the Center’s surveys. One can read all the brochures that an enterprise can produce, but take a look at their “Customer Satisfaction Surveys” for a glimpse of the real deal. The high marks do not surprise Director Gargano, who said: “The patients become like a family here. Everyone surrounds them with warm attention and highly professional care.”

Dr. Tinger commented that while the team is gratified by the many wonderful letters, cards and gifts received from patients and their families “after, and often during, their journey with us,” he is also appreciative “when someone has the courage to inform us how we can do things better.” That level of willingness to improve is another hallmark of a successful enterprise and further accounts for the exceptional quality care.

The counterpart to the treatment side at the Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center is the Health and Wellness Program, which, Dr. Tinger said, is part of the “continuum that helps a patient from any state of health or disease to a better state of health and wellness” and seeks to maximize the benefits of the cancer treatment.

A patient practicing yoga in a free Health & Wellness Program fitness class.
A patient practicing yoga in a free Health & Wellness Program fitness class.

Extending the Benefits of State-of-the-Art Cancer Care

Started in 2011 by Marilyn Leroy-Sterling, who is a nurse practitioner and serves as the program coordinator, the Health-and-Wellness Program owes its existence to the generous donation of a community member who wanted to ensure that all cancer patients have access to supportive therapies that have been shown to reduce stress and aid in the healing process. As a result of that gift and ongoing financial support from both Northern Westchester Hospital and other donors, patients have free access to the many services the program offers.

Marilyn Leroy-Sterling also serves as an integrative health coach, partnering with patients to help them deal with their health, nutrition, fitness and family concerns. On any given day, she might refer a patient to the medically monitored gym that the Hospital maintains at Chappaqua Crossing or to the nutritionist, who creates customized menus, or to the social worker or to the chaplain in the Mind For Wellness support team. Recognizing that writing can be a form of therapy, the program also offers an online journal-writing course.

Whether it’s setting goals or reaching them, Leroy-Sterling is available to help patients improve all aspects of their day-to-day life. In her words: “We provide a prescription to wellness.” Then, after patients complete the Health and Wellness Program, she gives them a comprehensive end-of-treatment summary that details their cancer history, diagnosis, treatment and an “evidence-based” follow-up plan of care—a roadmap to help the patient navigate successfully as a survivor.

Word has gotten out, and more and more cancer patients are participating in the Health and Wellness Program, which also receives high marks in the customer satisfaction surveys. This year, 100% of the respondents credited the program for reducing their stress levels. One such patient is Joanna Cirasella, who had aggressive breast cancer 18 months ago and expressed her appreciation this way in a video: “The love and nurturing are far beyond anything I could have imagined. Right now, I’m cancer free, and that’s all that matters. I could not have done this without them….”

What additional plans does the Center have?

Gargano said: her dream is to develop a survivorship program that further extends the benefits of the health and wellness program. Meanwhile, in the near future, a Health and Wellness Resource Center will be set up to give patients access to health journals and computers, along with practitioners who will be on hand to talk with them. That is another exciting development that will further the “continuum of care in a patient-centered, state-of-the-art community facility,” added Gargano.

Competent, Customized, Coordinated Care–big “C” meets its match in the many “C”s at the Center.

Vicki de Vries is a freelance writer/editor and educator living in Westchester “country.”

Excerpts from the many thank-you notes pinned to the Center’s bulletin board:
Thank you for giving me the strength, love, compassion to deal…One of your staff brought me to the Health and Wellness Program Coordinator.That was when the healing–beyond physical  recovery–began for me as a whole person. I was gradually guided…to different people and services…. They helped me in ways I could never have imagined and made all the difference in the world….

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: cancer, compassion, patient care

  • « Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Visit Our Sponsors

William Raveis – Chappaqua
William Raveis – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
Douglas Elliman: John Buckley
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
White Plains Hospital
Amy Singer – Houlihan Lawrence
Compass: Usha Subramaniam
World Cup Gymnastics
Rocks by Jolie B. Ray
Beecher Flooks Funeral Home
Corcoran: Robin Roy
Oak Lane Child Care Center

Download our Latest Issues

Discover New Castle PDF Inside Chappaqua PDF Inside Armonk PDF Inside Briarcliff PDF Inside Pleasantville PDF

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Organic Wine and Cheese Social at Life Energy Art Gallery
  • True Beauty at Fundraising Event for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital
  • Beatles vs. Stones: A Musical Showdown at the Paramount–December 7
  • Picking a Pre-School For Your Child
  • Top Tools to Have in the Kitchen When You’re Cooking with Kids
  • Ten Best Reasons to Walk Your Dog

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime for the print editions of either Inside Chappaqua, Inside Armonk–or both?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2019 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in