Patient Partner Program
The Hero Program sponsored by Arbella Insurance is the heart of the Jimmy Fund Walk! Jimmy Fund Walk Heroes are Dana-Farber Cancer Institute patients who volunteer to share their stories and inspire walkers to walk and raise critical funds for cancer research and patient care.


Hero Match Teams
Inspire your team and request to be matched with a Hero. Once matched, your team will walk and fundraise in your Hero’s honor.
All Jimmy Fund Walk Hero Match Teams must register and submit an interest form before being matched with a Hero. The Team Captain or Co-Captain should complete this form. All forms will be reviewed and match teams will be notified in Summer 2022.
FEATURED JIMMY FUND WALK HERO
Christina is a Walk Hero and walks on Team Lynch Syndrome.
“I am so grateful for my loving family and friends. Being in the Hero program means so much. Hopefully I can inspire other people who have Lynch Syndrome to know that they are not alone.”

Meet the 2021 Jimmy Fund Walk Heroes

Abel
Read Abel's Quote
"Abel likes superheroes, music, and swimming. He loves his family and friends and is so excited about starting school."

Anat
Read Anat's Quote
"I love to dance, ride my bike, swim, play piano, and be with my friends. I will be always thankful to the Jimmy Fund, to the nurses and doctors, and all the people that helped me and my family through this journey. You are stronger than you think! You got this!"

Andrew
Read Andrew's Quote
"Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund has been a place for hope and friendship. I have always felt safe and cared for at the Jimmy Fund. I have met patients just like me and have been able to share our stories and become close friends. I have many hobbies including taekwondo, basketball, baseball, skiing, swimming, and I love playing badminton. When I grow up, I want to be an Egyptologist. I enjoy learning about ancient cultures."

Ann-Marie
Read Ann-Marie's Quote
"I had always heard that Dana-Farber was a very special place and now I know that it is, and I know why. It is because of all of the people that I met, from the first person who greeted me, all of the medical staff to all of the other patients that were being treated. They all care and are so kind."

Barbra
Read Barbra's Quote
"I am so grateful to Dana-Farber for saving my life. I would not be here if it wasn’t for them. As my own caregiver it was very hard, but my team really cared about me and how I was, along with absolutely the best care ever! I am all about paying it forward and giving back and I will always do whatever I can for Dana-Farber."

Caleb
Read Caleb's Quote
"Drumming, listening to music, and reading about history are my passions, and I also admire all aspects of nature. I am studying Political Science at Clark University. I hope to work in government someday, but as a representative of my community—not as a politician."

Cassilly
Read Cassilly's Quote
"We come for the friends and crafts. Everyone there has the warmest hearts and we love catching up with our team."

Cheyenne
Read Cheyenne's Quote
"My favorite color is blue. I love to go in my pool and jump on my trampoline. I want to be a SCUBA diver when I grow up."

Chloe B.
Read Chloe's Quote
"The Jimmy Fund gives hope to so many patients and families just like me. Dana-Farber has given me back my life as well as giving so many others back theirs. In my free time, I love to bake and cook, go on walks with my husband, and hang out with friends and family. When I do the Jimmy Fund Walk, I like to think back to when I was in treatment and sometimes couldn't even get up to walk to the bathroom. Now I can walk 13.1 miles and reflect on my cancer journey and think about all the patients who aren’t yet able to walk."

Chloe M.
Read Chloe's Quote
"My name is Chloe and I love to do art and my most favorite thing is being with my friends. I love all the Jimmy Fund nurses because they are always super nice to me when I come in."

Christina
Read Christina's Quote
"We are so lucky to have such a great hospital that really cares about their patients. Dana-Farber is extremely knowledgeable and cares about your well-being. I have an amazing support system from my beautiful family; they have been there every step of the way."

Christopher
Read Christopher's Quote
"Dana-Farber helped me get my life back; the Jimmy Fund Walk is a way of expressing my gratitude to the extraordinary doctors, nurses, and technicians who have been by my side throughout my treatment, and to the institution that provides the resources for my team to do what they do."

Chuck
Read Chuck's Quote
"Married to my high school sweetheart, proud #GirlDad with 4 amazing and awesome daughters. Bleeds maroon and gold after graduating from both BC High and Boston College and is die-hard Boston sports fan. 5+ years into this fight—amazed by the love and care provided by my DFCI care team. #Blessed."

Gina
Read Gina's Quote
"I believe that staying positive is the key to having a good life and I am so grateful to my teams of caregivers at Dana-Farber for helping to maintain that positivity. I try to keep my mind open so that I can appreciate the golden moments in every day."

Gracie
Read Gracie's Quote
"My name is Gracie and I like riding my trike, playing at the water table, going to the beach, and playing with my big sister Lily and little brother Benjamin. Thank you to the doctors and nurses at the Jimmy Fund Clinic!"

Isabella
Read Isabella's Quote
"I love to swim, dance, and go to the park. When I grow up, I want to be a horse trainer."

Jordan
Read Jordan's Quote
"I love being silly and having fun with my friends at the Jimmy Fund."

Joyce
Read Joyce's Quote
"I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2014. I am SO thankful to Dana-Farber for my amazing immunotherapy treatment and all-around patient care. Feeling beyond blessed! Yeah baby!!"

Kadin
Read Kadin's Quote
"Dana-Farber has been such a support for the last few years to myself and my family. The team of nurses and support staff are the frontline heroes and do not get enough recognition. Thank you for showing your love and support."

Kate
Read Kate's Quote
"My favorite color is red. I like to draw and play with my dog. Go Jimmy Fund!"

King
Read King's Quote
"I love my family and Paw Patrol friends. I love singing and dancing and playing musical instruments."

Linda
Read Linda's Quote
"We are so grateful for the outstanding care and treatment I receive at Dana-Farber. Through fundraising events such as the Jimmy Fund Walk that support programs and research, my life has been extended beyond expectations. Clinical trials have helped me to achieve milestones, not only to hold my first grandchild but my second, enjoying dinners on the beach with my husband, beading, volunteering—but most of all, spending time with the people I love."

Lisa
Read Lisa's Quote
"I am here today thanks to my amazing Neuro-Oncology team. My goal is to continue to raise awareness for brain tumors and support lifesaving research/treatment at Dana-Farber. I hope that one day a world without cancer can exist."

Lucas
Read Lucas's Quote
"Dana-Farber is everything. They saved Lucas’s life and took good care of him. We feel he is in the right place and in good hands. They took care of every tiny detail and are very understanding to all the struggles the whole family faces. Lucas loves the resource room (the musical instruments, painting, and playing with play dough)."

Madelyn
Read Madelyn's Quote
"The Jimmy Fund helped me get better. I loved all my nurses—they were so nice to me. When I grow up, I want to be a Disney artist."

Madison
Read Madison's Quote
"The Jimmy Fund has helped me become strong and healthy so that I can now work and hang out with friends. I love to babysit and hangout with my friends when I’m not working. I also love going to the beach! It’s one of my favorite things to do!"

McKenzie
Read McKenzie's Quote
"I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the amazing work and care at Dana-Farber. Dana-Farber means so much to me and my family. I enjoy reading, dancing, and hanging out with my dog."

Michael
Read Michael's Quote
"I like how the Jimmy Fund takes care of me and I like playing video games there while I wait for my appointment. At home, I like playing Minecraft, Transformers, Legos, and baseball. When I grow up, I want to be a police officer."

Nick
Read Nick's Quote
"I enjoy playing basketball and lacrosse, spending time with family and friends, and traveling to Lake Winnipesaukee."

Natalia
Read Natalia's Quote
"The purpose of our lives is to be happy." - Dalai Lama

Noel
Read Noel's Quote
"Dana-Farber provides such exceptional care to its patients. As a young woman with breast cancer, there is no good time to be diagnosed. The Young and Strong program has provided that extra layer of support needed to manage treatment and survivorship while juggling my kids’ needs, career, and now the impacts of the pandemic."

Payton
Read Payton's Quote
"Payton began treatment at the Jimmy Fund Clinic in July 2020 after 30 days in the hospital. Hour after hour of chemo never dampened her spirit or erased her smile. The clinic made a challenging situation so much more bearable with their kindness, focus on the kids’ experience, outstanding nurses, and amazing treatment plans. Now that she is remission, Payton’s goal is to grow her hair like Disney’s Moana."

Poppy
Read Poppy's Quote
"I just turned 9 and I really like basketball, playing Roblox, and going camping!"

Quinn
Read Quinn's Quote
"I love watching the Bruins, playing with my sister Maggie, and movie night."

Sophia
Read Sophia's Quote
"I love dressing up as a princess, singing, and dancing."

Stephen
Read Stephen's Quote
"I taught math for 35 years and coached football for 50 years. Dana-Farber is my path to extending my life and the Jimmy Fund is a way to give to the research for cancer cures, especially for the young children. I have two grandsons in high school and one granddaughter born last year. My goal now has become to be around my new granddaughter Tessa Rose for as long as I can."

Stephanie
Read Stephanie's Quote
"Thanks to my amazing care team at Dana-Farber, and especially the Inflammatory Breast Cancer team, I was able to get through 19 months of treatment and continue following my passion for travel, SCUBA diving, and underwater photography."

Tita
Read Tita's Quote
"I refuse to allow breast cancer to make me feel like a victim. Losing is just not an option, I will be here to watch my child grow up. I love soul music, horror movies, public speaking, and being the best human that I can be. I am very involved in my city to help enrich culture and diversity and other cultural and food events."

Wells
Read Wells's Quote
"I love my nurse Jill and Dr. Junne!"

Yael
Read Yael's Quote
"The Jimmy Fund means to me that I am healthy and especially all the amazing people who helped me through this hard time. After this year, I want to be a child life specialist when I grow up because I want to help kids going through the same thing like my child life specialists helped me. Some of my hobbies are voice, ukulele, homework, crafts, splatter painting, and caring for my siblings."

Yvonne
Read Yvonne's Quote
"In my 8-year battle with cancer, Dana-Farber has been a beacon of hope for me—where I know I have the absolute best doctors and nurses and am always receiving the most innovative treatments. On top of all this, it has meant so much to me that I feel heard during tough times. Dana-Farber is like family to me."