Summit Health Management supports Valerie Fund Patient Now a Doctor
The weapons to eradicate cancer ---chemotherapy, radiation, surgery---kills the disease but also saps the energy and challenges the spirit of Valerie Fund patients and their families. After treatment and a return to normalcy, many will not remember or choose not to revisit this time in their lives when getting well was all consuming. But for a select few, their experiences at The Valerie Fund Center will have sparked an interest and a desire to return to the hospital and heal others.
Dr. Genghis E. Niver, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon at Summit Medical Group's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery was one of those patients who recovered from cancer and discovered his calling in medicine. Perhaps it was the timing. At the time of his diagnosis, Dr. Niver was a 17 year old senior at Westfield High School. Making plans for college abruptly turned into formulating a plan to combat a highly aggressive form of B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
The mass was on the left side of his neck. Dr. Niver's original ENT surgeon and two other Westfield High School students who also had cancer all recommended he continue treatment with Dr. Steven Halpern at The Valerie Fund Center at Overlook Medical Center. Fortunately, Dr. Niver's cancer had not spread anywhere else but he needed two rounds of chemotherapy, each lasting four days with three weeks off in between.
Dr. Niver recalls the treatment being very taxing on his body and thinking how lucky he was to be treated at the Valerie Center. "My worries about the chemotherapy process, my absence from school, and what to expect in the future were all alleviated by the Valerie Center," he remembers. From the binder the nurses prepared explaining every detail of the chemotherapy agents he was receiving to the home tutoring program which allowed Dr. Niver to complete his coursework in time and graduate, "every step was seamless, and really all I had to worry about was getting better and recovering my health."
Sixteen years later, Dr. Niver's own medical expertise only strengthens his belief that the Valerie Fund Center was the right place to receive his treatment. He recognizes that "although many people feel that going to large academic centers in major cities may offer cutting edge treatment, this is not always the case. The physicians at the Valerie Center are completely up-to-date on the latest protocols, and can provide compassionate care in a very private setting. I always felt like I mattered the most, which is very important to a patient undergoing cancer treatment".
The Valerie Fund’s Annual Walk & 5K scheduled for June 8th
Fundraiser for kids battling cancer and blood disorder in Verona Park (April 26, 2024 Maplewood, NJ ) Now in its 19th year, the 2024 Valerie Fund Walk & 5K presented by Ed and Sue Goldstein & JAG Physical...
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Jersey Mike’s raises over 1.8 million to support The Valerie Fund
Jersey Mike’s Subs Raises Record-Breaking $25 Million in March for Local Charities Nationwide April 3, 2024 – The Valerie Fund joined forces with 132 Jersey Mike’s Subs in New Jersey and New York for the 14th Annual March “Month of...
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EAT A SUB: BE A VALERIE FUND HERO
Jersey Mike’s Celebrates 14th Annual “Month of Giving” Maplewood, January 30, 2024 – The Valerie Fund is joining forces with over 130 Jersey Mike’s Subs across the entire state of New Jersey for the 14th Annual March “Month...
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Statement from The Valerie Fund on FDA Approval of Sickle Cell Disease Gene Therapies
The Valerie Fund is elated at the announcement of the FDA approval of the new gene therapies for sickle cell disease. We are filled with hope at the impact access to this treatment will have on the lives of...
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The Valerie Fund Walk & JAG-ONE Physical Therapy 5K Run raises money for local children with cancer and blood disorders
Maplewood, N.J., June 27, 2023 - On Saturday, June 10, more than 2,000 supporters united for a one mile walk around the beautiful Verona Park in Essex County, joining to honor and celebrate the courage, bravery, and resilience of...
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The Valerie Fund Walk/5K Presented by Ed and Sue Goldstein and JAG Physical Therapy