Jack is a particularly big fan of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He is an active Patient Advocate managing a local support group for patients and caregivers interested in his rare blood cancer; he participates in LLS' First Connection program; and has helped with LLS' Team in Training and Light the Night recruiting efforts.
Jack received LLS' appreciation award for "Outstanding Commitment and Support of Advocacy and Patient Quality of Life" in June 2104. As a Legislative Advocate, Jack has participated in LLS' (MA) state and federal (Washington, D.C.) programs to help educate lawmakers about policies and new legislation important to blood cancer patients. He has published many op-ed pieces and participated in phone and letter writing campaigns and met with many state and federal lawmakers in conjunction with several LLS legislative support programs. As a Research Advocate, Jack acts as a strong credible voice encouraging federal funding of biomedical research, particularly at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He helps bridge the communications gap between patients and biotech and life science industries by participating in and regularly speaking at industry conferences in the U.S. and Europe. He is active with several leading advocacy organizations including LLS, AACR, ASCO, DIA, NORD, RDLA, and others.
Jack was diagnosed with a rare, incurable blood cancer which research then indicated a five-year outlook for symptomatic patients requiring treatment. Travel with Jack on an intensely personal and oft-humorous bumpy ride on the road to personalized medicine still under construction. He now helps bridge the communications gap between life sciences, medical professionals, and patients as a Patient Advocate, Research Advocate and Legislative Advocate.
He encourages all patients to explore novel targeting agents many of which are now in clinical trials. Using genetic and genomic information to develop new disease-specific targeted therapeutics might be safer and more effective treatment than conventional chemotherapy.
Jack understands the realities of his blood cancer as he has repeatedly relapsed and has been refractory to most of the therapies received thus far; however, his goal is repeated periods of progression-free survival during which the promise of science and delivery of successful therapeutics will be achieved.
His website is located at Jack-Whelan.com
Jack
Survivor and advocate
