For MGH patients, a haven to heal in
Cancer survivor’s gift to those treated far from home
She likes Hannah Montana and the
Then came the flulike symptoms and then the shocking diagnosis. Hannah had a malignant brain tumor and needed surgery right away. Doctors also told her stunned parents that, in addition to chemotherapy, she needed an advanced treatment known as proton beam radiation therapy, and they recommended Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the few facilities in the country that offer the procedure.
Mona and Scott Sherwood had only a few days to arrange for their daughter to move to Boston from their home in Neenah, Wis., and start the physically taxing six-week treatment.
Where to stay and how to afford it in a strange city notorious for expensive lodging was something they had no time to consider.
“I took those days to get my brain around what our child had been diagnosed with,’’ Mona Sherwood said last week. “Then I realized, six weeks in Boston is not cheap.’’
The solution came from a charity set up by a three-time cancer survivor who figured that helping people like the Sherwoods was the best way to give thanks. It is called Christopher’s Haven, and it offers affordable apartments a short walk from Mass. General for people with children undergoing outpatient treatment for cancer. Since 2006, it has provided housing for around 130 young cancer patients and their families from across the United States and from as far away as Denmark, Latvia, and Haiti.
Located in the West End Apartments on Emerson Place, just across the street from the hospital’s cancer treatment center, Christopher’s Haven has roomy, fully furnished studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, with kitchens, dining areas, and pullout couches.
The Sherwoods are staying in a spacious studio with a view of the Charles River. Last week, Hannah was curled up on a couch, coloring a card for her grandmother. Pictures of her second-grade classmates at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School adorned one wall. On another, a pink calendar drawn by her best friend, Samantha, counted down the days left in her treatment — 15 by today. Tomorrow, Hannah will sit down to Thanksgiving dinner here with her family and watch the Lions take on the
“This is so comforting for her,’’ Mona Sherwood said. “We have a lot to be thankful for.’’
Sitting across the room, Sudbury native Dan Olsen, 47, who founded Christopher’s Haven, smiled at this. A fifth-degree black belt in karate, singer-songwriter, actor and stunt man, Olsen still looks like the hard-hitting semipro football safety he was in 1994, before he was first diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. He remembers the pain and nausea and constant weariness that accompanied his treatments during three bouts with the disease. He met parents who were paying thousands of dollars to stay in Boston so that their children could be treated at Mass. General.
After completing his last treatment in 2002, Olsen decided that he — as someone living on “bonus time,’’ as he puts it — needed to do something to help other cancer patients.
“I realized that we have the best medical facilities in the world, but no place to stay,’’ he said, adding that while the city does have other places for families of children undergoing cancer treatment, none are so close to Mass. General. “And that’s what we provide,’’ he said. “People get set up, and they start calling it home.’’
The rooms cost $30 a night “or whatever families can pay,’’ Olsen said. Christopher’s Haven has two full-time staff members, but Olsen receives no salary. The charity’s $400,000 annual budget is financed by donors and fund-raisers, which included a CD released in July featuring A-list musicians such as the Dave Matthews Band and Phish.
A valuable component of the Christopher’s Haven experience is that it brings together families who are going through the same thing, said Dr. Howard Weinstein, chief of pediatric hematology-oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.
“It’s a fairly important component of the overall care,’’ he said. “The environment helps families get through. Families who have a common experience gather together.’’
Mass. General was a pioneer in the use of proton therapy, which, Weinstein said, minimizes the damage to other organs that can be caused by radiation treatment of tumors in children. The procedure, administered in 15 to 40 applications, does not require hospitalization, but some children also need chemotherapy to prevent what is called microscopic spread of cancer, because proton therapy kills only the tumor at which it is aimed.
The result is a punishing schedule that can last all day. The treatment of Jeremiah Kalbach, a Christopher’s Haven resident from Ledyard, Conn., often takes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., said his mother, Beth.
At the beginning of the procedure last month, Jeremiah, 14, was barely strong enough to walk. An aspiring lacrosse midfielder, Jeremiah is starting to regain strength and put back on the 26 pounds he lost. His mother has been able to continue working as a realtor during her stay.
“It brings you comfort and normalcy,’’ she said.
David Filipov can be reached at filipov@globe.com. 
