As a mother, sister, wife, and grandmother, Connect participant Eileen is passionate about education around health risks relevant to her family. As a participant in the study, she is an advocate for research dedicated to uncovering the causes of cancer and learning new and improved ways to prevent and detect the disease earlier. Several members of Eileen’s immediate family have been diagnosed with cancer, including her son, Josh. Josh's cancer experience was pivotal in prompting Eileen to contribute to the future of cancer prevention research by joining Connect.
In 2023, at only 38 years old, Eileen’s son Josh was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a type of blood cancer that affects bone marrow, where immature blood cells multiply rapidly. To say the diagnosis was challenging for Josh and his family is a grave understatement. At the time, Josh had a four-year-old daughter and a wife who was carrying a high-risk pregnancy. Josh and family put their lives on hold and prioritized treatment and safety to ensure that everyone stayed as healthy as possible. With leukemia, Josh’s immune system was more vulnerable to infections, and getting sick with something like the common cold was a lot more serious than it would be for someone with an uncompromised immune system. His journey with cancer was long and hard, but one thing remained consistent — the support offered from loved ones, friends, and community.
Josh received a stem cell transplant in August of 2023, and six weeks later, his wife gave birth to their second child, a healthy baby boy. Thankfully, Josh was able to witness his son’s birth. However, Josh had to be careful. With a fresh transplant, his immune system was still highly susceptible to infection, so he could only spend a short time with his wife and newborn.
After two years of maintenance chemotherapy, on September 5th, 2025, Josh’s children joined him as he rang the bell that signals the end of a treatment course. For their family, the bell signified so much more than just the end of treatment. The sound launched Josh, Eileen, and their family into the next chapter, one that everyone hopes is marked by health, fun, and brighter days. He and his family are excited to get back to enjoying social outings, hosting, and better health together.
Eileen loves to kayak, and it's also one of Peanut's favorite warm weather activities!
Eileen visits Josh and her grandchildren whenever she can. At home in Minnesota, she works as a secretary in the local school system. Most of her free time is enjoyed alongside her dog, Peanut. Peanut is special. As a reading therapy dog, he shines around children, helping to support them in local programs at the library. Each evening, Eileen and Peanut share some special one-on-one time as they go on a walk and adventure for several hours at a time. For Eileen, this past summer and fall were marked by hallmarks of warmer weather in Minnesota — outdoor activities, camping, and kayaking with Peanut (his favorite!).
Being part of Connect is a way for Eileen to push cancer prevention research forward and hopefully gain more insight into her personal family history, including learning health information that may be relevant to her loved ones. With her grandchildren in mind, she’s putting together a book of family history, including birth and death certificates, health history, and other historical insights. In passing this information on, she hopes to give her grandkids the gift of knowledge.
Knowing how important this research is to the future of cancer prevention science, Eileen encourages others to get involved in Connect: “Look at the information that you are going to be able to pass on to your kids and their children and generations beyond. It’s so beneficial.” Connect is collecting information to build a powerhouse resource for future research on cancer prevention, early detection, and improved treatment and survivorship. We are poised to address Eileen’s questions by studying how inherited (genetic) and modifiable lifestyle factors might affect cancer risk. Through surveys and biological samples, Connect is collecting information on a wide range of behavioral, health, and environmental factors that will be studied in relation to cancer prevention.
It is critical that the study continues to collect information from participants over time, and Eileen is in it for the long haul. She is excited to learn, grow, and continue building the foundation of cancer science alongside the rest of the Connect community, and we are grateful to have her!
Share Your Story
If Eileen’s story inspired you to share your why for joining Connect, we’d love to hear from you. Every story helps us build a stronger, closer community of participants throughout the country. With a cohort that now includes tens of thousands of participants, learning more about one person’s special story can help us all connect a little bit deeper.
Thank you, on behalf of the entire Connect team, for being part of critical cancer prevention research, and taking an active step to change the future of health science.