Grovites honored for their role in cancer fight

Each year the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center salutes individuals and organizations from across the country and around the world during the one hundred, an annual event celebrating those who play an active and important role in the fight against cancer. Grove Isle residents Malvina and Ben Feinswog (left) are among the one hundred 2014 honorees who will be recognized in Boston on Tuesday, June 10. They were chosen from a list of nearly 1000 nominees.

Taking a personal tragedy and turning it into an opportunity to help others is no simple thing, but the Feinswogs are honoring the memory of their daughter, Lauren, by providing support to other families, like their own, who have been affected by cancer. You all may have heard of Lauren's Light, their charity. I've covered it here quite a bit in the Grapevine.

In 2001, Lauren died at age 33, shortly after giving birth to her second son, from a rare and aggressive form of cancer. To honor Lauren, Ben, Malvina and Lauren’s husband Anthony founded “Lauren’s Light,” an organization focused on the complex needs of young children who have a parent battling cancer. By educating and empowering parents to have age-appropriate conversations with their children, and by providing counseling sessions for children and their parents, Lauren’s Light helps to ease the stress for families facing the daily challenges of cancer.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is part of one of the world’s most distinguished academic medical centers. The Feinswogs’ efforts are in keeping with the Cancer Center’s commitment to eradicating cancer through research and innovation and by providing the highest quality of patient care.