Our Impact

Debbie Turco

Sometimes, you need a little magic—so why not go to the most magical place on Earth! We had the pleasure of granting Debbie Turco and her beautiful family a trip to Disney! Debbie was diagnosed with Stage 4 Gastric Cancer in December 2016 as a direct result of her work at Ground Zero after 9/11. Recently, her health issues have forced her to stop working and it has been an extremely challenging year for Debbie and her family. We hope they make wonderful memories that will last them a lifetime on this well-deserved trip! One of the things that really touched our hearts in a conversation with Debbie, was her desire to learn more about Marisa and who she was. Debbie told us she was going to make sure her children learned about Marisa as well. We couldn’t be more thankful and proud to know Marisa’s spirit still carries on.

Glenn Preston

Christmas cheer came early for Boston firefighter, Glenn Preston and his family when they reached out to Marisa's Mission for financial help to make ends meet. Glenn is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for B Cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and has had to take a leave of absence from his job. He applied to Marisa’s Mission for the Home Assistance Grant, and we were more than happy to relieve some financial stress for them. Glenn is a warrior and a hero in both his career and battle with cancer, and we wish him and his family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and HEALTHY New Year! Glenn's story was recently featured on Channel 7 News. Please check it out here.

Jeremy Nickerson

We think it’s important for you to know just how much your donations and support to Marisa’s Mission help others. The Nickersons, a young family of three reached out to Marisa's Mission because they, like many families, are being affected by this horrific disease. Jeremy, (age 36) was diagnosed with Stage IV oropharyngeal cancer, and for the past few years has been undergoing grueling treatments and surgeries rendering him unable to speak or eat. Being so consumed with doctors’ appointments, treatments, scans, surgeries, and setbacks, the Nickersons have not been able to work or make financial ends meet. Being ineligible for some state services and having been placed on the waitlist for housing assistance for the past 2 years, they currently reside with relatives in a one-bedroom home with their 6-year-old son. The stress of making sure that Jeremy gets the care he needs, taking care of their child, and trying to give their son's life some sense of normalcy is unimaginably overwhelming. Through our Home Care Assistance Grant, Marisa's Mission has been able to alleviate some of their stress.

Melissa Clifford

When Melissa and her husband Eric decided to sell their home last year, they were ready for the chaos that comes with packing up and moving. What they were not prepared for was a diagnosis of cancer! On the same day they were set to close on the sale of their home, Melissa received the shocking news that she had breast cancer. Treatment began immediately and aggressively, and the plans for buying a new home got put on the back burner. Since then, Melissa has endured grueling chemotherapy treatments and surgery and has subsequently had to take a leave of absence from her job. Thankfully, Melissa, Eric, and their two small boys, Jacob (4) and Luke (2), have been able to stay with family until they figure out their next move. Needless to say, it has been very difficult for them to establish a sense of normalcy for their family. Marisa’s Mission was able to send Melissa and her family on a trip to Disney World through our Trip/Event Grant! We hope this trip will let them recharge their batteries and make amazing family memories together!

Luke Bradley

The Bradley family applied to Marisa's Mission in September after their household income was cut by 52% when their son, Luke (age 13), relapsed for a second time with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. On December 8th, Luke was admitted to Children's Hospital and will remain there for the next 8 weeks to receive a bone marrow transplant. Luke's father had to resign from his job to become Luke's full-time caregiver. With two other children to care for and the stress of paying the mortgage and bills, the Bradleys were having a difficult time making ends meet financially. Through our Home Assistance Grant, Marisa's Mission was able to cover these expenses for several months.

We received a thank you note from Luke's father and wanted to pass it along, because it is not only Marisa's Mission that helped make this possible, it is the support and generosity of people like you. Thank you for continuing to support our foundation and make a difference in Marisa's name. 

"Dear Marisa's Mission:

I just want to personally write a heartfelt thank you for the generous donation given to our family by your organization. The donation is going to help us pay the mortgage for this time that I am out of work taking care of my son, Luke, during and after his bone marrow transplant. We really didn't know how ends would be met, and you have done much to help begin to alleviate our worries. I can't express how much that means to us during this time. I have attached two pictures so you will be able to put a face to the name of our son Luke. the first is Luke in 2015 when he was battling meningitis in addition to Leukemia. The second is a picture of Luke today during his bone marrow transplant. I feel these pictures speak volumes more than I can, so I hope you are touched by Luke's story through them... Thank you so much and God Bless you..."

Denielle

Denielle is a 46-year-old single mom of four. In April 2020, she was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer and has been unable to work due to her treatments. Her medical bills are stacking up, and she has fallen behind on other monthly bills, including rent. Denielle is facing eviction, and the stress of her diagnosis and her finances is something no one should have to bear, especially while navigating cancer treatments. We were happy to support Denielle with a Home Assistance Grant to relieve a small amount of that stress for now. Thank you to all of our generous donors whose contributions made our support of Denielle possible.

Tara

Tara and her partner Chris are loving parents to their two precious sons. Until the age of 36, Tara lived a very healthy life with no issues until she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Astrocytoma around Christmas time. The following January, Tara had surgery to remove the tumor and the final pathology concluded that she had a Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) which is the most aggressive type of cancer that starts in the brain. Fast forward to November 2020, when an MRI revealed that Tara’s tumor had grown. Along with this terrible news came side effects of the tumor, including double/blurred vision, loss of balance, seizures, and changes in her ability to think and learn. As if these terrible side effects weren’t enough, this is all happening amidst the pandemic. Despite working from home, Tara could not return to working due to the extent of her disease. She applied for disability but unfortunately, has not yet been approved. Marisa's Mission is honored to assist Tara with a financial grant to help her family. We hope it helps take financial and emotional stress off her and her family!

Denise

Denise is a proud mother to two high school students. Denise's husband suffered a stroke two years ago and has been unable to secure disability payments. Denise is also dealing with a Mantle Cell Lymphoma diagnosis. After being laid off for a short time, she found a full-time, commission-based position in a travel agency. However, when the pandemic hit, many travel plans were delayed or canceled resulting in a huge financial hit for this already-struggling family. The financial stress weighed heavily on Denise, so we are grateful that we were able to award her a Home Assistance Grant to help her make ends meet.

Sean Gelinas

Meet Sean! Sean is a 29-year-old patient being treated for a recent diagnosis of a Grade 2 Oligodendroglioma. Over the summer, Sean underwent surgery to remove the mass from his brain and experienced two strokes while on the operating table, resulting in some impairments to his speech and the ability to express himself. Since surgery, Sean has continued with a variety of additional treatments including radiation, chemotherapy, and speech therapy. He will also need IV therapy and alternative therapy to boost his immune system. The time needed for treatment and recovery has forced Sean to take a medical leave from work and he now receives only 60% of his salary. To complicate financial matters further, a large percentage of his therapies and treatments are not covered by his insurance. To help Sean make ends meet during his recovery Marisa's Mission was able to provide financial assistance through our Care Grant Program. We could not be happier to help Sean as he continues his journey of healing and recovery.

Jamie MacQuarrie

Meet the MacQuarrie family. Jamie, a 41-year-old husband, father, triathlete, and hockey coach started off 2017 with some not-so-great news—he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Since then, Jamie has endured an array of intense treatments and surgeries. With four children to support, rescheduling normal life and work to make time for treatment and recovery posed an additional set of financial challenges. Both Jamie and his wife, Stacy, had to take a leave of absence from their jobs for a period of time. While Jamie still has more hurdles to face in his ongoing treatment, Stacy has recently returned to work. But, with their decreased income and hectic schedules, the cost of child-care for four children compounded the financial strain on their family. Through our Home Care Assistance Grant, Marisa's Mission was happy to provide two months of child care to the MacQuarries to help get them through this rough period in their lives.

Thanooe Paul

Thanooe Paul is a 33-year-old veteran who served in the military. While deployed in Iraq, he was exposed to significant smoke and chemicals from burn pits and sand and was eventually diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, which has now metastasized throughout his lungs and bones. Because of the progression of his disease, Thanooe is unable to work. The Paul family is currently living on a fixed income while he is undergoing treatment, which includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation when needed. With all the added expenses, out-of-pocket cost for medication and travel, and a recent urgent home repair, the Paul family recently started to fall behind on bills and is faced with the hard choice of paying one bill over another. After mentioning their concern and distress over their financial situation to their hospital social worker, they learned about Marisa’s Mission. We received Thanooe’s grant application and are honored to award the Paul family with 7 months of mortgage assistance. We are so grateful for Thanooe’s military service and the sacrifices that he made, and we hope this takes away at least one financial stress so he can focus on his health and creating memories with his family.

Kezia

In 2011, Kezia was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Just three months later, her 11-month old daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk Neuroblastoma, and both Kezia and her husband were out of work through their treatments. Devastatingly, their daughter Saoirse passed away on December 13, 2011, at just 18 months old. In 2014, when their second child was just 8 months old, Kezia had a relapse. It has been a long and arduous battle, but Kezia is finally in remission; however, during her treatment, their household bills piled up. Additional medical bills have caused a financial strain that has been difficult to overcome. We were happy to support this amazingly strong family with a Home Assistance Grant and we wish Kezia love and healing.

Sasha

Sasha is a 41-year-old mom who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2015. She has been powering through treatment and continuing to work full-time, but the side effects of her treatments are starting to catch up with her, including memory and vision challenges. Sasha's husband has been out of work for a year and a half and doesn't qualify for unemployment, so they have had to lean on family and friends to help cover household bills. Sasha turned to Marisa's Mission to help cover their mortgage payment so her family can remain in their home and she can focus on her treatment and health.