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Tag: Personal stories

Pediatric Oncofertility Research Foundation

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Introductions, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: Advocate, Introduction, Oncofertility, Personal stories
We are delighted to provide our support to the newly developed Pediatric Oncofertility Research Foundation (PORF).  PORF supports research in the field of fertility preservation for children treated for cancer. The primary goal of the foundation is to allow the choice of future fertility to…
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Oncofertility in the news!

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, children, Fertility Preservation, In the news, National Physicians Cooperative, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, Personal stories
The Chicago Tribune recently published an article, Kids with Cancer get Futuristic Chance at Saving Fertility, describing the role of ovarian and testicular freezing in saving future fertility for pediatric cancer patients.  The article highlighted patient and parent stories from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in…
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Moving Beyond Cancer

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, In the news, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: breast cancer, Egg Banking, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Personal stories, publication
The Oncofertility Consortium was highlighted in the Spring 2015 issue of Northwestern Medicine Magazine in the article “Moving Beyond Cancer“.  In this issue, Holly and Richard Manprisio, and their journey to build a family, are highlighted.  Holly conquered stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma when she was just 13 and was…
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People Magazine Highlights Fertility Preservation

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Fertility Preservation, In the news, Oncofertility
Tags: Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Personal stories
On May 12th, People Magazine highlighted a story about a 16 year old Arizona teen, McKindree Patton, who elected to freeze her eggs prior to chemotherapy for a rare form of bone marrow failure.  Through the help of non-profit group Angel Mamas, McKindree was provided funds to…
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2014 OncofertilIty Consortium Conference

Author image - Lauren Ataman-Millhouse By: Lauren Ataman-Millhouse -
Categories: Blog, Conferences, Fertility Preservation, In the news, Oncofertility
Tags: Conference, Fertility Preservation, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, Personal stories
The 2014 Oncofertility Consortium Conference was a great success! For two days, researchers, clinicians, students, and trainees from around the globe transcended on Northwestern University and participated in lectures, panel discussions, and hands-on training programs to learn about the advances in the field of fertility…
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Adoption and Oncofertility: Another Option for Cancer Survivors

Author image - Lauren Ataman-Millhouse By: Lauren Ataman-Millhouse -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, children, fertility, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: adoption, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, patients, Personal stories, quality of life, Survivorship
A recent feature in Cure magazine discusses adoption as another option for cancer survivors who want to build a family. Each patient is unique. The impact of a given treatment on fertility can vary and so can the time available before starting life saving treatments.…
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Stupid Cancer Chicago Meet-up: June 25th

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, General, Patient Stories
Tags: Advocate, AYA, cancer, Personal stories
UPDATE: NEW VENUE INFORMATION BELOW! The Oncofertility Consortium is pleased to spread the word about an upcoming Stupid Cancer Meet-up with founder and CEO (and a wonderful friend of the Oncofertility Consortium), Matthew Zachary.  Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 25th – read more below! Wednesday…
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AYA Twitter Chat TODAY 12:30pm CST (#YACancer)

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: Advocate, AYA, cancer, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Personal stories, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Recently, Mashable featured Jenna Benn in a wonderful article: Wedding, Career, Chemo: When Cancer Derails the Millennial Dream.  Jenna Benn is a patient of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at and a wonderful friend and supporter of the Oncofertility Consortium. Due to the…
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The Rest is History

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, children, fertility, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Patient Stories
Tags: cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, infertility, Oncofertility, patient navigation, Personal stories
Today, we are honored to have another patient guest blogger; long-term survivor Colleen Cira.  Read through her incredible story below and join the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center this evening, March 25, from 5-8pm for “Drinks with Docs (& Healthcare Providers)” at Bridge House…
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Focus on Family

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, General
Tags: cancer, Personal stories
Below is a guest post from Luke Tripodi on the importance of family during his cancer journey.  We thank him for taking the time to guest post and wish him continued health! By Luke Tripodi My story starts off the same way so many others’…
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The Stupid Cancer Show: Perspectives on Life after Cancer

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, Personal stories, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stupid Cancer
Here at the Oncofertility Consortium, we’re huge fans – both personally and professionally – of Matthew Zachary, the force behind Stupid Cancer; the nation’s largest support community of young adult survivors of cancer.  Created in 2004 (first as Steps for Living, then transitioning into I’m Too…
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After Cancer: Surrogacy As a Fertility Option

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, infertility, Oncofertility, Personal stories, Surrogacy
By Jen Rachman At age 26, I was living my life, self-sufficient, secure and independent. I took care of myself physically and emotionally. Life was nearly perfect, until the routine trip to the gynecologist that wound up saving my life. When you hear the words, “you…
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Join Us for the 20th Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration & Walk on June 2nd!

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Research
Tags: cancer, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, Personal stories, Research, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cancer survivors, their families and friends, and the Northwestern community that supports them
, will come together on National Cancer Survivors Day, June 2nd, to walk and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center’s signature event, the Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration &…
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Chicago Tribune Talks Fertility Preservation with Oncofertility Consortium Members

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: Chicago Tribune, Fertility Preservation, Jenna Benn, Oncofertility, Personal stories, quality of life, teresa k woodruff
By Cathryn Smeyers A recent article in the Chicago Tribune entitled “New programs give hope to young cancer patients about bearing children,” discusses the field of oncofertility and how it can positively impact the lives of female cancer patients. The article opens with the story…
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CNN Health Focuses on Imerman Angels and Cancer Advocacy

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer
Tags: Advocate, AYA, cancer, CNN, Fertility Preservation, Imerman Angels, infertility, Jonny Imerman, Personal stories
Recently, one of our friends and cancer advocates, Jonny Imerman, was featured on CNN Health, in an article entitled “Pairing ‘Angels’ with Cancer Patients,” showcasing the organization he began 10 years ago, Imerman Angels. Imerman Angels is an organization founded in 2003 that carefully matches and…
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“Life Interrupted,” Shares the Unique Challenges of a Young Adult with Cancer

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, New York Times, Oncofertility, Personal stories, quality of life, Suleika Jaouad
Suleika Jaouad is a 24-year-old writer from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Her column, “Life, Interrupted,” appears weekly in the New York Times. Suleika chronicles her experience as a young adult with cancer and the unique challenges she faces such as infertility, psychosocial issues, and survivorship. I…
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Teal Diva Shares Her Story of Cancer, Fertility, and Resilience

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, Egg Banking, hysterectomy, infertility, Oncofertility, ovarian cancer, Personal stories, Shannon Routh, Teal Diva
As part of our guest blog series, the Oncofertility Consortium would like to introduce our readers to Shannon Routh, and her organization for young survivors of ovarian and gynecologic cancers, Teal Diva, founded in 2009. Below is a post she wrote about her experience with…
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Get EmPOWERed: Life After Cancer for Adolescent & Young Adult Survivors

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, AYA, cancer, Fertility Preservation, Kristin Smith, LaSalle Power Company, patient navigation, Personal stories, quality of life, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
What does empowerment mean to you? Does it mean giving someone the authority or power to do something… because that’s what you’ll find if you look it up?  The word is not a new one – it originated around the 17th century and the meaning…
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Survivors: A New Magazine for Breast Cancer Survivors

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, breast cancer, Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project, cancer, cancer survivorship, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Personal stories, publication, quality of life
As we have covered in past blogs,  young people account for about 10% of all cancer patients.  As science, research and advocacy evolve, more young people are SURVIVING cancer and going on to lead healthy and productive lives. Nonetheless, young cancer survivors are in a…
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John Green’s “Fault in Our Stars” and AYA Cancer in the Media

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, fertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, Fertility Preservation, John Green, Personal stories, publication, quality of life, The Fault in Our Stars
For all those young adult readers out there and even for those who are in no way eligible for that category anymore, John Green has just released his 4th fiction book, The Fault in Our Stars, starring two, young cancer stricken protagonists. Though the topic…
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Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation: Jog for Jill

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, In the news, Research
Tags: Advocate, cancer, clinical research, Jog for Jill, lung cancer, Personal stories, quality of life
Those of you in the cancer community may have heard the name Jill Costello before. We first learned about her through her best friend and cancer advocate, Darby Anderson, on an impromptu visit to the Oncofertility Consortium. Jill has been featured on ESPN, written about…
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Cancer & Fertility Preservation: How I Lost My Uterus and Found My Voice

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, cryopreservation, Embryo Banking, Fertility Preservation, infertility, John Hopkins, Michelle Whitlock, ob/gyne, Oncofertility, Personal stories, quality of life, radical vaginal trachelectomy, Surrogacy
A newly released memoir from cancer survivor, Michelle Whitlock, delves into her experiences with HPV, cervical cancer, fertility preservation and love in a book that you will read from start to finish in one sitting. How I Lost My Uterus and Found My Voice is an…
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