Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/cancer/)
Watertown Firefighter Matthew Callahan. The Watertown Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of there own to an occupational cancer at the age of 38. A funeral will be held on Aug. 28. Firefighter Matthew Callahan died on Aug.
ChemoCareKits contain items to help people going through chemotherapy. (Photo from ChemoCareKits)
In 2020, Watertown’s Jessica Yamas went through treatment for breast cancer, including chemotherapy, and she used her experiences to create boxes full of items to help others going through cancer treatment. She calls the boxes ChemoCareKits, which include a variety of items to make people more comfortable, as well as a booklet. Yamas now sells the boxes, with some of the proceeds benefiting cancer research and patient care. Yamas went through her cancer treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Jeffrey Herbin will take part in A Shot for Life Gauntlet. Watertown High School basketball player Jeffrey Herbin will be participating in a 24-hour basketball marathon to raise money to fight cancer. Herbin seeks to raise $1,000 towards A Shot for Life’s $100,000 fundraising goal for 2023. He will participate in the the A Shot For Life Gauntlet on Nov. 11 at the Starland Sportsplex in Hanover.
Cancer survivor Julie Santaniello will ride the Pan Mass Challenge for the first time this year. She joined other PMC riders at Fenway Park recently. (Courtesy of Julie Santaniello). When Julie Santaniello was officially diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in 2017 the Pan Mass Challenge seemed like something far away. Now, years after her last active treatment Santaniello knew it was the right time to conquer the ride.
Young cancer survivor Noah McManus thanks the Watertown Police, Fire Department and Department of Public Works for putting on a parade outside his home on Friday. A Watertown boy who beat cancer will be featured by Make-A-Wish during an online event. Noah McManus recently received a drive-by parade with vehicles from the Watertown Police, Fire Department and Department of Public Works to celebrate his bill of good health (see details here). Make-A-Wish provided the following announcement about the gala:
Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island will feature the story of Noah McManus, 3, from Watertown, MA, during the Make-A-Wish® Gala: Heroes for Hope, a live virtual event taking place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021. Noah, who has undergone chemotherapy for Langerhans cell histiocytosis, wished for a superhero playhouse and his wish was granted through generous community support.
A screenshot of the GoFundMe campaign for 1995 Watertown High grad Christine Aragon Lagos. A GoFundMe campaign was started to help a 1995 Watertown High School grad who is undergoing cancer treatments. The campaign for Christine Aragon Lagos, was started by classmate Amanda Holmes, and seeks to raise $10,000. On the campaign page Holmes wrote:
“Christine Aragon Lagos was a classmate of mine at Watertown High School, Class of 1995. Recently, I was informed that Christine has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer (lung, bones, brain).
A Watertown teen seeks to raise $20,000 to help the fight against cancer in honor of a five-year-old patient. She will host an event Friday night in Watertown to help reach her goal. Susan Howard, who lives in town and attends Dexter Southfield in Brookline, started a fundraising campaign to help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “My fundraiser began on January 24th and I only have until March 14th to reach my goal. I have a team of eight hard-working individuals who are helping me raise money as well, seven of whom are Watertown students and parents,” Howard said.
The past 18 months have been a difficult for the Watertown Fire Department, with two deaths within the department, and Fire Chief Bob Quinn wants to take steps to prevent further tragedies. In March 2017, Firefighter Joe Toscano collapsed and died from heart failure while fighting a fire. Then in October, Fire Chief Mario Orangio died after months battling pancreatic cancer, which is one of the types of cancer which firefighters are more at risk of getting. This year, Quinn has put an emphasis on the health and safety of his firefighters. This includes strength, conditioning, nutrition, stress managment, as well as reducing the risk of on-the-job cancer.