Click here for Part I & Part II

Improving the quality of life for cancer patients and their families

Cheryl Colleluori is the CEO and president of the HEADstrong Foundation, a Pennsylvania not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to serving families impacted by and funding research into blood cancer. The HEADstrong Foundation is named for its founder, Cheryl’s son Nick “Head” Colleluori, who was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma shortly after enrolling in Hofstra University. A tough and talented lacrosse player, Nick symbolizes the character and mission of the foundation, which he created from his hospital bed while undergoing cancer treatment. Although Nick passed away in 2006, the organization has carried on his legacy by investing over $9 million in cancer research and family assistance.

EDWIN WARFIELD: Can you share a story with us about a family you worked with?

CHERYL COLLELUORI: There has been a lot of inspirational stories at our Nick’s House, and those stories keep us going, because we’re inspired where we see that relentless fight over and over and over. Our current guests at Nick's House are a young couple, Dave and Rachel, from Houston, Texas. They have a 15 month old little boy by the name of Axel. The family will be with us for about two-and-a-half to three months. Rachel is seven-and-a-half months pregnant with a baby girl whose name is Ayden, spelled with a “y.” Ayden has cancer in utero. She had a 0% chance of survival, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has given her a 75% chance of survival. They are going to do a procedure—we don’t have a date yet, but it will be within the next two-and-a-half to three weeks—where they will remove her from her mother, still attached to the umbilical cord, and attempt to remove the tumor in her lung.

We have welcomed them with open arms. We share tears, we share hugs, and we are a very strong resource for this family who doesn’t know a soul here, but what they do know is that there is love here. They are here because of the love for their child, and we’re giving because of the love that Nick has given to us.

We’ve had 66 families that we’ve housed. They all have their own unique stories, but they have the same passion for life, the same love for their child, or their mother, or their brother, and we’re just privileged to witness that love. It gives us that encouragement to keep fighting and keep raising those necessary dollars so that these folks can come here and live without worry and have all focus on the patient.

Q. Where do you see the HEADstrong Foundation in five years?

A. Like I said before, I think the future is very bright, but I don’t have a crystal ball. There are lot of variables and things that are sometimes out of our control, but I’ve been through hard. I’ve been through the hardest thing imaginable, losing my child, so anything else that presents itself is opportunity, and I believe that we’re just beginning to scratch the surface. I don’t think that we’ll be satisfied until… I don't know that I will ever be satisfied. I don’t think I will ever be able to do enough to fill that void, because what I want I cannot have. But in the meantime it’s onward, upward. Together, we are accomplishing great things, and I think HEADstrong is going to become a household name, especially for the families that we’ve assisted and for the recognition that we’re getting. I appreciate this opportunity today to be able to maybe share the story, make a new friend—maybe there’s some listener or some viewer that may need our services. Thank you so much for this opportunity.

Connect with Cheryl on LinkedIn

Sponsored by:

ABOUT NEWMARK GRUBB KNIGHT FRANK

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is one of the world's leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with London-based partner Knight Frank and independently-owned offices, NGKF's 14,100 professionals operate from more than 400 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents.

With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF's strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. NGKF's full-service platform comprises BGC's real estate services segment, offering commercial real estate tenants, landlords, investors and developers a wide range of services including leasing; capital markets services, including investment sales, debt placement, appraisal, and valuation services; commercial mortgage brokerage services; as well as corporate advisory services, consulting, project and development management, and property and corporate facilities management services. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.

NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company servicing the financial and real estate markets. BGC's common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol (NASDAQ: BGCP). BGC also has an outstanding bond issuance of Senior Notes due June 15, 2042, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (NYSE: BGCA). BGC Partners is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer  Howard W. Lutnick. For more information, please visit http://www.bgcpartners.com/.

Edwin Warfield, CEO of citybizlist, conducts the CEO Interviews.

If you're interested in reaching CEOs, please contact edwin.warfield@citybuzz.co

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