Humans of New York Features Holy Cross Alumnus in Fight Against Pediatric Cancer

Humans of New York

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The popular social media photo blog account Humans of New York (HONY) recently featured Richard J. O’Reilly, M.D., ’64 in a multi-weeklong series devoted to raising awareness for pediatric cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York where O’Reilly holds the position of Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and the Claire L. Tow Chair in Pediatric Oncology Research.

HONY, which showcases human stories through photographs of subjects accompanied by quotes and stories from their lives, began this focused series with a post featuring O’Reilly that can be seen in its entirely below.

“All doctors have those patients who sit on our shoulder. Their image is always with you. One kid will pop into your head every time you hit a wall-- when you encounter a disease that is so unrelenting that you’ve exhausted all therapies and you’re still not even close. One memory will keep you going. It’s a different kid for every doctor. It’s hard to know why they stick with us. I remember one patient that had red hair just like my son. And I remember one five-year-old girl who made me laugh, because when I asked her how she was doing, she told me: ‘I don’t know. You’re the doctor.’ And then there was the boy early in my career who was born without an immune system. He’d already lost two older siblings to the same disease. He lived the first two years of his life in an isolation room with no windows, and his entire exposure to the world was through a black-and-white TV. We gave him a bone marrow transplant, and suddenly his immune system came online. And we took him for a walk in the garden. This boy who had spent his entire life in a windowless room. And a sparrow landed on a bush, and he pointed at it, and said: ‘Bird.’ That moment will always be with me.” ----Dr. O’Reilly is stepping down this year after thirty years as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at MSK. As we learn these stories, we are holding a fundraiser in his honor to fight pediatric cancer. Please consider donating. Link in bio.

A photo posted by Humans of New York (@humansofny) on May 5, 2016 at 11:00am PDT



O’Reilly has become a world-renowned pioneer in the development of bone marrow transplantation techniques as a lifesaving treatment of bone marrow deficiencies, leukemia, and other blood disorders since graduating with a degree in biology from Holy Cross. Among the many honors he has received throughout his career, O’Reilly was awarded the Sanctae Crucis Award in 2008, the highest non-degree accolade that the College bestows on alumni, which is given to alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and in the service of justice.

Additionally, he will receive an honorary degree from the College at the 170th Commencement Exercises on May 27.

View the full series from Humans of New York on their website.

Related Information

This "Holy Cross in the News" item is by Bridget Cass.

 

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