For some folks, putting others first isn't a choice; it's something that’s ingrained in who they are. For as long as she can remember, that’s been JoAnn’s reality and the essence that made up her day-to-day.
For decades, JoAnn poured her all into caring and advocating for her two sons, Dominic, who is now 34 and has Dandy-Walker Syndrome, and James, who is 32 and has autism. All the while, she also cared for her former husband, who battled heart disease for 19 years before he passed away in 2023. The responsibilities of motherhood, caretaking, and grief manifested into motivation for JoAnn. Doing all she could to support her sons, she became a parent member of their school’s special education department and joined the board of education, advocating for students, staff, and children with special needs. But when a cancer diagnosis arrived in late 2024, the woman who had always taken care of everyone else was about to find out what it felt like to finally be taken care of.
It was 2 days before Christmas when JoAnn got the news that she had Stage-4 Cell-B Lymphoma. Like any patient who’s received a similar diagnosis, JoAnn’s world was rocked. Talk about a Christmas present. Dr. Umangi Patel, her oncologist, immediately met her with confidence, compassion, and, most importantly, a calming presence that JoAnn needed. “Don’t worry,” JoAnn remembers Dr. Patel saying, “We can cure this.”
Though Dr. Patel’s words were comforting, JoAnn couldn’t help but feel nervous. On her first day of treatment, JoAnn’s best friend, Rhonda, joined and held her hand as she walked through the doors of our Newburgh office. Teary-eyed and with a million thoughts racing, she checked in with Jen, the office’s front-desk receptionist. Instantly, Jen recognized the worry in JoAnn’s eyes and reassured her, saying, “It’s okay, we got you. We’re gonna’ get you through this.” So JoAnn took a leap of faith, trusting Jen and her new care team, and finally allowing herself to rest in the hands of others. It was then that she met Jamie, one of her nurses who would soon become much more than a nurse, but rather family. Jamie talked her through all that was to come. From medications and routines to possible side effects and foods to watch out for, she explained everything and wrote it down for JoAnn, leaving no room for lingering questions or anxiety. “You call me if there’s a problem,” she said to JoAnn. This was the start of a bond neither of them could have predicted that day.
The days and weeks passed, some more challenging than others, as JoAnn’s body underwent each chemo injection and round of blood work. On those days when her symptoms were more prominent, JoAnn found that the real medicine wasn’t whatever fluid was flowing through her veins; it was the people around her. Treatment days were spent laughing with her nurses, joking, and relating to one another about the positions they found themselves in. JoAnn particularly hated receiving her immunotherapy injection, so one day she gave another one of her nurses, Koryne, an offer. “I’ll give you $50 if you take it for me,” she said. Appallingly, Koryne refused JoAnn’s bribe, claiming, “Where’s the fun in that?” It was moments like these, where they spoke to each other like family, that made even the most challenging days, ones JoAnn could still smile through.
JoAnn’s newfound community didn’t lie only in her medical team, but also among the patients surrounding her. Unlike their outside friends and family, JoAnn and her fellow patients could relate to each other in a way no one else could. Their shared experiences and understanding of one another became the foundation for lasting friendships. “The best support we had was each other,” she recalls, “No one fights alone.” Their care for one another was so great that JoAnn decided to make treatment bags for everyone. She filled each bag with blankets, word searches, and other goodies she knew could come in handy.
Throughout the course of JoAnn’s treatment journey, she and her NYCBS family lived through milestones and moments none of them will ever forget. From birthdays and holidays to pregnancies and engagements, they all celebrated life’s moments together. Perhaps the most celebrated milestone of all was this April, JoAnn’s final treatment day. “I am very blessed, and I thank God… for sending me such an amazing team,” she says, as she reflects on the people and journey that have brought her to this point.
Whether you’re a patient, a doctor, a nurse, a lab technician, or anyone else on our team, we are all family here. When times are difficult and you want to give up, you’ll find someone here to push you to keep going. In moments of joy and achievement, there’s a team here for you to celebrate with. We do more than just treat your cancer; we walk through life with you. As JoAnn enters her new chapter of survivorship with a grateful heart, she can’t help but feel a bittersweet sense of nostalgia. “I will miss my girls,” she says about the team of women who have carried her through this time. Although she may not be in every few days for a check-up with Dr. Patel or a catch-up with her beloved nurses, Jamie and Koryne, JoAnn and her care team will always carry the memories they made in our Newburgh office and the crew who became family.
