InFocus featuring the Joe Andruzzi Foundation

From the 22 News Plus Studio, this is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Berry. Hello everyone and welcome to this edition of In Focus. I'm your host Patrick Berry. We're here in the 22 News Plus Studios. If you're like me, you know cancer has hit everyone. You probably know somebody who has been affected by cancer, someone who may have passed because of cancer, but you probably know more and more survivors of cancer because as medicine technology improves, the survivor rates continue to get better and better and better. But if you have been affected by cancer, then you are probably one of the millions who get involved in cancer research fundraising, spreading awareness to those and helping those people and families who are affected by cancer. I am so excited today. I'm joined across the desk by Joe and Jen Andrewsie from the Joe Andrewsie Foundation. Thank you both very much for joining me. I've been looking forward to this conversation for a while. So thank you for coming here. I appreciate it. Thank you. Let's start with the topic of cancer. Joe, a lot of our viewers may recognize you as being a professional football player. I should have worn my helmet in here. Exactly. And I will tell you, Joe is no small man. But your professional football career was cut short because of cancer, correct? Yeah. I mean, after 10 years in the NFL, I was, you know, ready to go play for my 11th year. I was just released and a free agent. And I was about to take some trips to some teams and all of a sudden working out at a gym now and had a stomach ache and proceeded to get a little worse and then a little constipation. And normally I'll go to a team doctor. But, you know, leaned over to my wife and said, can you call the family doctor for me? I went there and, you know, found a blockage and, you know, test after test. Within a week and a half, I was diagnosed with Burkitt's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And during our time spent here in New England, we made a lot of close relationships and calling doctors for my own help now after raising funds for cancer research. So, you know, we turned around, got here and it was May 31st. Flew out here, 7 a.m. flight and landed in Boston, went straight to the doctor and he said, you're already stage four. We're starting chemo tomorrow morning. You were already at stage four. Yes. That's it. Burkitt's lymphoma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that sometimes doubles in size in 24 hours. So, Jenna, I've got to ask you, what went through your head when the doctor gave you that diagnosis? Let's see. So we, from the time that Joe first had his first test, right, it was like a two-week window from like the first test to like actual diagnosis. So within those, that time, you know, I did research and we were very blessed. We had a neighbor directly across the street who worked for J&J at that time. And she actually wrote the reports that went to the FDA for cancer research and trials and whatnot. And so, you know, talking with her, she was like, if it is Burkitt's lymphoma, you are not going to stay here. And we became very close. We still talk to them, to the state. And so when she said that, I was like, oh, okay. And then she said, and if it's that, you have to get him on a trial. So because of her position, she was able to send me, direct me to a trial website ran, you know, by the FDA and safely, you know, look for a trial that was open. And thankfully one was open at Dana-Farber. There was another one open at Sloan Kettering. And, you know, doing my research and having the relationships, like Joe mentioned, it was a little, it was, we were set up in a way that it's just ironic, right? Like, that day we got home on the 31st, no, sorry, on the May 30th. And I got on the phone with the pediatric neuro-oncologist that we have been donating research dollars to since 2000. At that time, I want to say it was 2003. And ask him, you know, can you introduce us to somebody that can help treat Joe, right? And in like within an hour, he called me back and said that we had an appointment the next morning at Dana-Farber. So on May 31st, and that, you know, he'd set it up, whatever. So I literally got off the phone, went on to whatever airline at that time, booked our flight the next morning at 730. And it was very, like I tell everybody, it just becomes very robotic. So the thought is like, how do you do everything possible in your power to like help your loved one that you can control, right? Because a lot of it's not in your control. And then like, it was literally just then it was like, execute, execute, execute. So it is, it's very robotic. But we were blessed, right? Like we were blessed to have the right people in our, you know, family contacts. We were blessed. Joe's parents were at the house to stay there with our four kids. I don't think we mentioned it. We were in Cleveland, Ohio at the time. I ended my career with the Browns and then we were in Cleveland and we had a house out there and my parents and one of my brothers came out and the other kids were still in school. We had four kids at the time. So your family kind of tag team. Yes, exactly. Cause we literally had to get on the plane the next morning and leave. So it's like, yeah, the shock, but you have the reality, you know, what you see from like the outside, right. Of what other people deal with, with cancer, but it's never been in your house. So it's, it's an internal struggle and it you're, it's, you can't control it. It's everybody different. And I always say to people, that's, it's like a light switch. You know, you gotta take that negative and make it a positive. I mean, we got the initial phone call and I called her. She was at, uh, you were volunteering at the kid's school and you know, she couldn't even understand me. And it was like, um, half mile away from the house. And she came running home and you know, just, uh, tears, but then that switch has to go up and you know, how are we going to attack this thing? And you know, within the next week we were in and out of tests and you know, finally got a cat scan biopsy and turned around and, uh, we didn't even get the final result until we got to Boston. But, uh, overall it was one of those things where, you know, God, Buddha, somebody's out there looking over us. I mean, things happen for a reason. Like Jen said, we, you know, as soon as my parents and my brother got there, we were able to get on the plane, get to Boston, um, met with my doctor and he said, uh, you're already stage four. We're starting chemo tomorrow morning, 7am. And that began a three month battle in the hospital. That was not fun. So, and we are coming up on our first commercial break, but when we come back, we'll talk about how that experience you just heard about created the Joe Andrews foundation. We'll be back in just a minute. This is 22 news in focus with Patrick Berry. This is 22 news in focus with Patrick Berry. Welcome back everyone to today's conversation about the Joe Andrews foundation. The namesake Joe's is with me along with his lovely bride, Jen. Thank you both so very much for joining me. Um, an unbelievable story that you shared about your health battle and how it all came about and how quickly you, um, you were able to get care in Boston. Um, but it, all of that, your experience through that is what created the foundation. Why, why, why create the foundation? Why not just, Hey, I had this health crisis. You know, the family came together. We, we battled through it. Move on with life. Why, why create the foundation? Joe, you're ready to go. Well, I'm going to leave this to Jen because Jen had a lot of time on her head. And so when I was getting, you know, I was going through cancer, I was, uh, sleeping a lot, resting. And when I finished up, uh, my chemo in August of 07, I mean, a lot of people, I don't know if you know people that are out there listening and watching this, uh, it becomes a battle and you want to snap your fingers and just get back to normal. There's no normal. It's a new normal. And I had a very, I mean, I was bald. I didn't have a piece of hair on my body. I lost eyelashes, eyebrows, everything. And, you know, at that time I was for the last 20 years, almost, I was in training camp, whether it was high school to NFL, but then, uh, turn around and here I am, I'm going home and I had a big battle with depression and anxiety. And sometimes I'm afraid to leave the house. I was afraid that when Jen left the house and it was a, a day-to-day battle. So each day you try and do a little bit more, whether it was walking the kids to the bus stop or getting out and about and doing this, doing that. And Jen, you know, kicking me on the couch and getting up, you know, moving me around. But, uh, at first the foundation, I wanted nothing to do with cancer. I was like, yeah, well, F cancer. And, you know, I was like, no, I don't want to do it. And Jen proceeded to move forward with it. And then she put a hold on it. And then, uh, I received a phone call from a mom in Maine that her son was just diagnosed with Burkitt's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I was like, yeah, I'll call them up, called them up. And he's now a pediatrician up in New Hampshire. And yeah, I still talk to him to this day. And one of those things where I hung up the phone and I looked at Jen, I said, no, we can do a lot of good with this. I can take my three Superbowl rings and parlay it with my survivorship ring and, you know, pay it forward. And she already had it in the works. She already had it going and talked to lawyers. And right before it was nullified, she smacked me and said, I knew it. Yeah. So she started it right up and, uh, it's been a blessing for us in many different ways. So Jen, what does the foundation do? So we provide financial support to cancer patients and their families that are in active treatment throughout. So we provide assistance for day-to-day expenses. If it's, uh, rent, mortgage, utilities, food, gift cards, um, transportation, things of that nature. So things that you do every day, right? Like that you don't blink twice. You have a fixed budget, um, that you live on and you're able to control it. Right. And once you receive that diagnosis and again, things are out of your control, you have new expenses and, and new things that come across. Sometimes you can plan. Sometimes you can't, um, you know, that's where the Joanne Jersey foundation steps in, right. When patients and families are now faced with co-pays, um, prescriptions, things, you know, that they didn't have before, right. That's where we step in they can work with their social workers at their cancer Institute, whether it be a hospital or cancer center to apply to the Joanne Jersey foundation for one of our assistance programs. So it's a date you've given away millions of dollars and help tens of thousands of people here in Massachusetts, here in new England, throughout new England, throughout new England, 13.7 million. Uh, and then over 50,000, uh, cancer patients. Well, just, uh, I remember when we were starting this up after everything and Jen, you know, didn't want to focus in on one type of cancer. I mean, even though I had non-Hodgkin's Burkitt's lymphoma, you know, who's to say as somebody else in the family, you know, we just lost my mom to lung cancer, I mean, liver cancer, sorry. And, um, it's one of those things that you just don't know. So why not, you know, do the whole circumference of Kansas at any age, because it does become a family ordeal and it does put a toll on a whole family. I was the one in bed sick and get poked with needles, but Jen was going through with me. Our families were going through with the kids were going through it. And, uh, you know, it was a tough all around, uh, family battle, but you got to take it day to day and try and smile every day. And to learn that 50% of cancer patients become bankrupt after a cancer battle, that's, that's heart-wrenching. And that's where the foundation steps in and helps pay it forward. And so the foundation is not specifically for those patients who are similar to you with a non-Hodgkin's-Burkitt's lymphoma. It's for anybody and any family that has, happens to be going through that. Any cancer, any age. Any cancer, any age. And it's just, so if, if there's a family in Pittsfield, Mass or Darien, Connecticut, or, you know, Bangor, Maine that needs help, they just go to the website and is there an application process? Either the website we work with, uh, mostly it's social workers. So when you're in treatment in a hospital or a cancer facility, they have the social workers and, uh, we work with the social workers on the backend so they can get into our back office and they can facilitate because a lot of times when you're going through cancer, you know, you're not thinking straight and, you know, that's where they could step in. They know the people and the families that are, you know, affected and, uh, you know, they can help them facilitate and fill out the application on the need. And since our incentive, probably since COVID, we evolved in many different areas and we brought in our giving and, you know, many areas such as not just, you know, um, the day-to-day bills, but also food became a big priority. Um, rides, getting to and from treatment and, you know, or a doctor's appointment is also significant funds where, you know, you just so happen all of a sudden you're in a wheelchair and you can't get in your house. You need a wheelchair ramp. That's, you know, we have a little things that you don't think about. And, uh, you know, many things like that. We also have a wellness section that we try and bring cancer patients and families together, you know, to, you know, I was in that hospital 50 plus days, those walls close in on you and really, you know, yeah. Especially if you're, if you're a child, you don't see your siblings or one of your parents, because one has to work, one probably could stay there. But overall, uh, you know, we're trying to get them together. We worked with, uh, many different groups, uh, Ryan's amusements. Uh, we go there and have some fun spreads, smiles, and that's what it's about. And they go back to the doctors and they're going to tell the doctors and nurses, you know, guess what I did? Oh, I got, I got this. I won this at the games last night. Uh, we also do Boston Harbor cruises. We go on a Godzilla ride, which somehow every year I get drenched. I'm always the one walking off with the drenched and then, you know, the wave just comes over my head every time. It's like they do it on purpose, but it's, um, definitely, you know, we got, uh, you know, a lot of, uh, photographs that just the smiling and that laughter, it helps release those endorphins that helps you heal. And I'll never forget that with my oldest daughter, you know, yeah, she, uh, had a great big belly left that dad was bold and, uh, she'd probably behind my wife's leg and all right, let it, she'd take her. Okay. Let it out. Let it out. And she'll start to giggle. And then I, you know, I laugh with her. So it's, uh, you know, those little things, but you know, it's definitely, uh, a blessing for us and, you know, and there's more and more to do. Right. We are up on our second commercial break. When we come back, we'll tell you how you can help out with all the fun things that the foundation does all year long. Stay with us. This is 22 news in focus with Patrick Berry. This is 22 news in focus with Patrick Berry. Welcome back everyone to today's conversation. Joining me across the desk are Joe and Jen Andrewsy. They're from the Joe Andrewsy foundation, which helps families going through the battle of cancer treatments and cancer health. And as Joe pointed out, there are so many little things that you're probably not running that are probably not running through your head when you, when you get that diagnosis of what you may or may not need as you go down that road. And that's where the Joe Andrewsy foundation comes in all year long. You're doing things to raise funds. What are some of the fun things you do each year to keep this foundation going to keep putting money in people's pockets so, so that they can continue to at least have some bright, bright spot in their lives as they go through this battle? We have a running program, which, you know, I don't run anymore. When I retired, I hung up my running shoes and now I'm a cheerleader. I have pom-poms and Jen's the runner now. She has done seven Boston marathons and won seven Boston marathons. I'm tired of standing there all day and cheering on. I mean, I got the pom-poms out going and go hooting and hollering, but you know, you're not going to want to see me in a skirt. So, you know, that's as far as I go, but you know, I didn't, you know, running's not my forte and, and it's not short distance sprints. Exactly. Maybe five, six, eight yards. Yeah. I think the biggest thing for like ways to get involved for us, it's evolved, right? Because we have more and more patients that are applying to us every year. So we have to think of unique things. Right. And we want to be diverse with our different avenues. So there are there's team JEF, which we have different, we do it through the Feldmuth Road Race, Boston Marathon. We have participated in a golf marathon through Golf Fights Cancer. People can do their own road races and just sign up and fundraise for a loved one. Then we have third party events. So we have actually some tournaments that happen in Western Mass that host a golf tournament and they then donate the funds back to JEF to give out to patients in need. So we have our annual things like the Joe Andrewsian Friends Golf Tournament, average shows. We have a huge fall fundraiser that happens at Gillette Stadium. Everything really, honestly, the best way to find ways you can get involved is to go to the joeandrewsianfoundation.org website and go under ways to give or events. It's always updated. There's lots of different things. And again, it's really it's it's depends on that person. Right. Like why they want to give back. They might be paying it forward if they're a patient recipient. They might have a neighbor that was faced with cancer, might be a business that wants to be, you know, give back to the community. Right. There's a lot of different things. So we really try to have a broader range of how people can do that. So, you know, there's not just one way. Right. Like and the biggest thing is, you know, kind of our mission, help, hope and a reason to smile. And that's what we ask other people to kind of bring to the table when they are fundraising on behalf of JEF or joining an event and they get to see the patients and smile. So the easiest way is when you log on is a big red donate button right there you click on. But by all means, you know, if people want to get involved there, that turns into our ambassadors and spreading the word that's marketing for us. So it's amazing. I have to imagine this is your full time work now. I mean, this organization is so big at this point that that all of your daily efforts are towards the foundation to help it sustain and grow. Yes. Every day. Everybody's like, what did you think it would be like? I don't know. I wanted I wanted to help patients. Right. And now it's like I can't step away. Right. People are kind of, you know, well, what are you how what will look like in 10 years from today? And, you know, like we don't know, but we know that Joe Andrews Foundation can't go away because of the thousands of patients that we help throughout New England every year. Right. And kind of like you said when you kicked off, like, thankfully, because of all the science, patients are living longer. Right. Right. And so that means the cost to their treatment is going to be longer. Right. Which means they're going to need the Joe Andrews Foundations of the world out there. Right. And when patients come to us and say they've already received a reward from us or they need help or something else that we don't provide throughout one of our programs, we created Unicorn Resource Directory, which has a list of over 100 other like minded nonprofits and organizations where anyone patient, you know, and you can search, you can filter for what you're looking for. Right. And it is a wider range from like, you know, aerial tattooing after a breast cancer patient finishes her last surgery. It's it's everything. Right. So, again, we know we're only one that we can only be so many things to patients and families. So our goal is to bring other organizations that are doing just as good of work in different spaces. I cannot thank you both enough for joining me today to talk more about the foundation, the great work that you're doing and everyone that's associated with with what you do. Thank you both so very much. Ladies and gentlemen, the website again is joandruzyfoundation.org. Go on, help out, get involved. Jen and Joe, thank you so very much for joining me today. Thank you very much. This is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Berry.