June 3^rd is National Cancer Survivors Day, an annual, treasured celebration of life that is held in hundreds of communities nationwide on the first Sunday in June. This day provides an opportunity for America’s more than 15.5 million cancer survivors and their loved ones to connect with each other, celebrate milestones, and recognize those who have supported them along the way.

Philly Fights Cancer lives for the moments where patients fighting their battle become patients winning their battle. On National Cancer Survivor’s Day, we reflect on the personal journeys of those who have been touched by this disease, and those who have survived because of the life-saving clinical trials offered at the Abramson Cancer Center. Read below for a few of the remarkable stories of those treated at Abramson Cancer Center through groundbreaking immunotherapy treatments. For more survivor stories and to learn more about Abramson Cancer Center’s pioneering research, visit pennmedicine.org/cancer/about/patient-stories. 

Barbara Beaudry, Survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

While a new CAR-T cell therapy developed at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center might have saved Barbara Beaudry from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, her deep faith—and love from and for her family—saved her long before. Read more about Barbara’s story here.

(Shared from Abramson Cancer Center)

Bill Ludwig, Survivor of Leukemia

Bill Ludwig was out of options. The retired New Jersey resident had gone through so many rounds of chemotherapy for his cancer that he’d lost count. A clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health had almost killed him. After nearly 10 years of battling leukemia, Bill couldn’t handle a bone marrow transplant. “I asked God every night to give me the strength to fight one more day. I didn’t ask him to cure me because there was no cure. So, I asked him for the strength to fight,” Bill says.

Then, Bill was given one more weapon in the battle. It was 2010, and his oncologist at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, Alison Loren, MD, was one of the investigators on a new clinical trial for patients with the same type of leukemia as Bill. Read the rest of Bill’s story here.

(Shared from Abramson Cancer Center)

Doug Olsen, Survivor of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

For 20 years, Doug Olson lived with an enemy determined to take his life: chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, a cancer that starts in the bone marrow. It causes white blood cells to grow out of control and prevents the immune system from protecting the body against illness or infection. With CLL, even a common cold can turn deadly. But Doug fought hard. He had a wonderful marriage, children, grandchildren and a passion for sailing. Onward was his attitude. Over 14 years, Doug endured four rounds of conventional chemotherapy to control his CLL. But the cancer was relentless and progressing. Then Penn sent in an army of T-cells. Read more about how Doug’s own body beat his cancer here.

(Shared from Abramson Cancer Center)

Direct Video Link: https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/about/patient-stories/cll-doug