Reach For The Stars⭐️

My name is Jillian Olear, and in seventh grade I was diagnosed with Stage IIA Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Being thirteen at the time, there were many unknowns for me and I was so overwhelmed. However, as I sat in the Morristown Valerie Center’s office, I looked at my mom and said, “This is where I want to be.” I had never been more sure of any decision and it is continuously proven to me that I made the right one.

While under treatment, The Valerie Center always went out of their way to provide comfort in the stressful situations that came with having cancer. From integrative medicine to celebration gift cards, everyone always found ways to redirect my attention from everything going on around me. I received chemotherapy from March 2018 to July 2018 and am now over five years cancer free. Even being so far out of treatment, TVF has remained in my life and been there every step of the way. They have continued to help guide me as a cancer survivor and, most recently, have helped me navigate my new chapter as a college student at Stevens Institute of Technology, especially by having named me a proud Valerie Fund Scholarship recipient. The Valerie Fund is my second family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

After experiencing first hand the countless ways that TVF provides for patients and their families, I have made it a constant priority to do everything I can in return. I’ve hosted a gift card drive through my previous school district, where I raised over $1,000 in gift cards for the Morristown Valerie Center. I’ve also served as an ambassador in 2018 and participate in the Walk and 5K yearly with my team, where I have raised over $10,000 to date. I hope you consider walking with my team or simply donating in an effort to continue to thank The Valerie Fund for all they do!