Brandeis alum starts cancer organization
by Hannah Furst
Features | 2/8/05
Posted online at 4:09 AM EST on 2/8/05
In August 2001, a few months after she graduated, Eisenstein received a bone marrow transplant and three more rounds of high-dosage chemotherapy. This bone marrow transplant placed healthy bone marrow, taken from a donor, back into Eisenstein's body.
Throughout her multiple treatments, Eisenstein said that she never wanted to "feel sorry for [herself]."
"You are dealt this hand [in life] and you can either wallow in it or play the game the best you can," she said.
For Eisenstein, this meant taking her personal experience and not only sharing it with others, but also using it as a source of inspiration to help other young adults facing a similar predicament.
Along with fellow Brandeis alumna Bridget Ahearn '01, Eisenstein started a nonprofit organization that seeks to help young adult survivors of cancer with the transition into post-treatment life. According to Eisenstein, although there are several organizations that help cancer survivors through support groups and information about long term medical care, there is no other organization that will assist young adult survivors financially.
Eisenstein first conceived the idea for her organization, Surviving and Moving Forward: the SAMfund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer, while attending a conference in Spring 2003. The conference, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was specifically designed for young adult cancer survivors. Eisenstein said that she felt "liberated and empowered" simply meeting other young survivors who were dealing with the same issues as her.
"It made such a difference to know that there were people out there," she said.
SAMFund provides grants and scholarships to young adult cancer survivors who are at a serious financial disadvantage because of the expensive costs of cancer treatment.
"So much in our society is based on money, [and] to live independently you have to have money," Eisenstein said.
Throughout her multiple treatments, Eisenstein said that she never wanted to "feel sorry for [herself]."
"You are dealt this hand [in life] and you can either wallow in it or play the game the best you can," she said.
For Eisenstein, this meant taking her personal experience and not only sharing it with others, but also using it as a source of inspiration to help other young adults facing a similar predicament.
Along with fellow Brandeis alumna Bridget Ahearn '01, Eisenstein started a nonprofit organization that seeks to help young adult survivors of cancer with the transition into post-treatment life. According to Eisenstein, although there are several organizations that help cancer survivors through support groups and information about long term medical care, there is no other organization that will assist young adult survivors financially.
Eisenstein first conceived the idea for her organization, Surviving and Moving Forward: the SAMfund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer, while attending a conference in Spring 2003. The conference, held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was specifically designed for young adult cancer survivors. Eisenstein said that she felt "liberated and empowered" simply meeting other young survivors who were dealing with the same issues as her.
"It made such a difference to know that there were people out there," she said.
SAMFund provides grants and scholarships to young adult cancer survivors who are at a serious financial disadvantage because of the expensive costs of cancer treatment.
"So much in our society is based on money, [and] to live independently you have to have money," Eisenstein said.
