I am frequently
reminded of the good fortune Barry and I have had during these past years. While
I have never sat down and compiled all the bills between my pulmonary disease
and cancer treatment, it is safe to say that that there are a lot of numbers to
the left of the decimal. Fortunately, we have had very good health insurance
and been able to handle whatever pieces have fallen through the cracks. But the
same cannot be said for so many people who struggle with chronic or acute
illness, even those who themselves deliver the care those patients so urgently
need.
One of Barry’s
responsibilities in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai School
of Medicine is to teach a course in clinical radiation biology to residents in
radiation oncology. He has been teaching such courses for over 30 years, and
although most individual residency programs in radiation oncology are
relatively small, he is now teaching a total of about 40 students including groups
from almost all of the programs in the New York City area who spend three years
attending the course in preparation for their board certification examinations.
About two years ago
one bright young resident suddenly found herself on the other side of the
doctor-patient relationship. She has gone through grueling treatment and has
recently been able to resume her medical training. But friends became aware of
her financial struggles, and a young woman who works in Barry’s laboratory took
on the task of starting a “Go Fund Me” page. Here is the note she posted.
Hi! My name is Hindy.
Ava and I met earlier this year. We worked in the same lab, and developed a friendship over scientific conversations and chocolate.
Ava was diagnosed with a Stage IV blood cancer in 2014. She was finishing up her oncology residency at the time of her diagnosis. She went into work as usual, and within the course of a few hours, she was admitted as a patient in the oncology ward. Ava spent the next year in and out of the hospital. During this time, she received a stem cell transplant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Ava's graduation from her residency program would have been June of this year but she has been unable to complete her training and fulfill her dream of becoming an oncologist.
Medical related expenses have been steep, especially without steady income.
She's particularly grateful to be celebrating her birthday tomorrow. Can you help her celebrate what we hope are many healthy years ahead in the form of a small donation to ease the burden of her expenses?
$5 -- or any amount -- will be appreciated. Your well-wishes, of course, are priceless :)
Thanks!
Ava and I met earlier this year. We worked in the same lab, and developed a friendship over scientific conversations and chocolate.
Ava was diagnosed with a Stage IV blood cancer in 2014. She was finishing up her oncology residency at the time of her diagnosis. She went into work as usual, and within the course of a few hours, she was admitted as a patient in the oncology ward. Ava spent the next year in and out of the hospital. During this time, she received a stem cell transplant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Ava's graduation from her residency program would have been June of this year but she has been unable to complete her training and fulfill her dream of becoming an oncologist.
Medical related expenses have been steep, especially without steady income.
She's particularly grateful to be celebrating her birthday tomorrow. Can you help her celebrate what we hope are many healthy years ahead in the form of a small donation to ease the burden of her expenses?
$5 -- or any amount -- will be appreciated. Your well-wishes, of course, are priceless :)
Thanks!
Here is the link to
the page.
I have so much to write about – we had a fabulous week with Maya and Ella will be coming back to New York with us tomorrow. I have started compiling pictures and will try to write very soon.
Love,
Rebecca
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