PATIENT SPOTLIGHT: Xavier Chen, Paris, France

1. Tell us a little about your background - personal and professional - and your journey with ALK+ lung cancer so far.

I am a 61-year-old French citizen of Chinese origin, now living in Paris. Beforemy diagnosis, I was living in Chiangmai, a northern city of Thailand, in semi-retirement after a very fulfilling career successively in the French Foreign Service, International Energy Agency (IEA), global energy companies BP and Equinor, and Chinese energy company ENN. Before COVID, I spent 17 years in Beijing where I worked for the aforementioned companies as senior executive.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithMarch 24, 2024Patient Spotlight, Xavier Chen

Introducing ALK Positive Denmark An interview with President, Irfan Gilani

Can you share with our readers the founding story of ALK Positive Denmark? What inspired the establishment of the organization? ALK Positive Denmark, founded on October 6, 2022, stands as a dedicated advocacy group for ALK-positive lung cancer patients and their families. The genesis of this initiative can be traced back to Heidi Vaarbjerg, who recognized the need for a support network for Danish patients facing ALK-positive lung cancer.

ALK InternationalKirk SmithMarch 24, 2024advocacy, International, Patient Spotlight

Patient Spotlight: Dr. Sydney Barned, Maryland, USA

We interviewed Dr. Sydney Barned - a medical doctor, ALK patient, and very active lung cancer advocate. We learned about her personal journey with ALK+ lung cancer, how lung cancer has also affected other members of her family, and, more importantly, her tireless involvement in lung cancer advocacy, some of which has already resulted in legislation being passed to help lung cancer patients

Patient StoriesKirk SmithJanuary 28, 2024advocacy, Patient Spotlight, Dr. Sydney Barned

Patient Spotlight: Summer Hall Farmen, Hershey, Pennsylvania

When we decided to interview Summer Hall Farmen about her personal journey (that includes being a mom to an adult son with severe cerebral palsy), her journey with ALK-Positive lung cancer, as well as her active involvement in our organization (Board member, ALKtALK Healing Arts program, fundraising, and Summit Committees, to name a few), we didn’t realize we were in for another treat. Summer’s interview didn’t just give us a good glimpse of her own life. It also helped us get to know another prominent ALK member whose life is tightly connected with Summer’s life - her father and active member of the ALK Positive Medical Committee, Ray Hall. As we got to hear and learn more about this father-daughter duo and their partnership to give Summer the longest and best life possible as an ALK patient, we were reminded of the values of family, commitment, perseverance, dedication, and above all – love.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithNovember 4, 2023Patient Spotlight, Summer Farmen, Ray Hall, Brigatinib

Pediatric ALK Spotlight Interview with mother and caregiver Ashley Sitorius, Hampstead, North Carolina

We interviewed Ashley Sitorius, mother and caregiver of 11-year-old Deliah, who was diagnosed with ALK-positive brain cancer when she was just 7. ALK can actually appear in many pediatric cancers as a driver mutation. Among many things, we discussed Deliah’s (and the family’s) journey in navigating this devastating diagnosis, how she has been able to advocate for Deliah’s treatments (some of them not officially approved for pediatric cancer), and her future hopes for pediatric ALK cancer.

caregiver, Patient StoriesKirk SmithSeptember 24, 2023Pediatric Spotlight, Patient Spotlight, Ashley Sitorius, Caregiver

Patient and Caregiver Spotlight: Dan and Brittany Wilson Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Both Dan (the ALK patient) and Brittany (the spouse-caregiver) are actively involved in ALK Positive and are also this year’s ALK Summit Chairs coordinating our Summit in their home city of Philadelphia, Pensylvannia. We interviewed them both about their background, their life with ALK, and about how their volunteer activity has enriched their lives.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithJuly 11, 2023Patient Spotlight, Dan Wilson, Brittany Wilson

Patient Spotlight: Marc Rosenzweig, West Bloomfield, Michigan

Long-term ALK patient and founder of the ALKtALK program that has become a wonderful resource bringing the ALK community closer. Marc lives with his wife Carolyn in West Bloomfield, MI. His cancer life started in 2013 when he was diagnosed with Stage 3b Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He went through 6 months of chemotherapy until he started coughing up blood 7 months later after his last Hodgkin’s treatment. Thats when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 ALK Positive Lung Cancer in November 2013.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithMay 16, 2023Patient Spotlight, Marc Rosenzweig

PATIENT SPOTLIGHT: Andrej Krivda, Wettingen, Switzerland

We interviewed fellow ALKie Andrej Krivda on his very interesting journey with ALK+ lung cancer and all the unexpected twists and turns he’s had to navigate since diagnosis. Andrej is the very first person to enter the Nuvalent NVL-655 clinical trial in Spain and one of the first patients to take part in the trial in all of Europe, and we were very interested in his perspective. He also happens to have a fascinating personal history. Enjoy the read!

Patient Stories, Clinical TrialsKirk SmithMarch 19, 2023Patient Spotlight, Clinical Trials, Nuvalent

Caregiver and Advocate Spotlight: Patty Saccenti, Rome, Italy

Meet Patty Saccenti – a retired throracic surgeon, mother of three, caregiver to her ALK patient husband, and one of our most active volunteers and advocates both within ALK Positive, Inc. in the US and in her country and region of origin, Italy and Europe. “In September 2017, we were just back in Rome - where we live - having just come back from our summer vacation, and we were watching TV after putting our three children to sleep. Suddenly my husband felt something under his finger near his neck and asked me, "what do I have here?"

Patient StoriesKirk SmithJanuary 22, 2023Patty Saccenti, Patient Spotlight

Patient Spotlight – Debbi Martinez, New Jersey, USA

Member and fellow ALKie Debbi Martinez is the volunteer working behind the scenes with ALK Positive’s Kindful fundraising platform and doing a great job at that. For this year’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to honor a volunteer that is not visible by being at the forefront of operations, but is just as invaluable in helping our fundraising efforts go smoothly and seamlessly.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithNovember 8, 2022Debbi Martinez, Patient Spotlight

Patient Spotlight Ruby Blow, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

“I am a sister, an aunt, and a professional counselor. Until November 2021, I was taking care of my mother, who had Parkinson’s dementia. My mother was already advanced in her dementia when I was hospitalized at age 44 with a collapsed left lung. It was 3 months before I was diagnosed and began treatment for stage IV ALK-positive NSCLC. . . Each day I practice acceptance of what is and cultivate hope for what can be.”

Patient StoriesKirk SmithSeptember 29, 2022Ruby Blow, Patient Spotlight, Patients

Patient Spotlight: Emily Venanzi, Newton, Massachussetts

Emily Venanzi is an active member of our Medical Commitee (with particular involvement in the Research Review Panel selecting which research projects to fund) as well as our Research Accelaration Committee. As a patient, she is an interesting case, as she "jumped" straight on a clinical trial as her first line of treatment, which she's still currently on. We interviewed Emily to find out more about her, her background, and what research developments give her the most hope for the future.

Patient StoriesKirk SmithJuly 18, 2022Emily Benanzi, Medical Committee, Patient Spotlight

Patient Spotlight: Hanka Mosher, British Columbia, Canada

Many ALK Positive members know Hanka Mosher through her Zoom yoga classes on ALKtALK. Did you know that Hanka is also an avid skier and passionate about health and wellness in general?

Kirk SmithJanuary 13, 2021Exercise, Patient Spotlight, Hanka Mosher