Back in Action

Continued

It’s not every day that Pittsburgh Steeler’s all-time touchdown leader, Hines Ward, shows up at your door bearing balloons along with his contagious smile and winning spirit.
But that’s how Joey Folino found himself last July 21st on his 10th birthday, with the NFL wide receiver bursting through the door of his room at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, high-fiving Joey and proclaiming to the soon-to-be fourth grader “you’re my man.”
In line behind him were literally dozens – 35 or more at a time, of Joey’s buddies, neighbors and family members all eager to show their care and support for the boy, who weeks before was diagnosed with AML Leukemia during a football physical.
“The outpouring of support was tremendous,” says Joey’s mom Kim of the North Hills, Pennsylvania community where she and her husband Tony live with their three children – Joey, Jake (14) and Isabella (8). “Between the lemonade sales Joey’s buddies held, and the blood drives, and all the people coming to the hospital, we were so blessed with support. But the nurses would only let us have four people in the room at a time.”
That’s where CarePages.com, a leading online community and trusted guide for people seeking connections, emotional support and information during health challenges came into play. The more than 500 messages of support and caring that were delivered to Joey and his family during the 72 straight days and 142 days total of his hospitalization (three rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant), speak volumes about what CarePages.com does for more than three million members who have used its free service to create personal Web pages, join discussions, participate in blogs and interact easily with others facing similar challenges. CarePages, Inc. is part of Revolution Health Group LLC, whose goal is to help consumers make informed choices and put them in control of their health decisions through the cornerstone of its efforts – RevolutionHealth.com. (Visit Joey’s CarePage by visiting “JFocino” at CarePages.com.)
In May, Joey’s cancer was declared in remission and he joined his classmates back in the classroom for the first time in a year. These days, he’s back on his dirt bike, hanging out with his buddies and corresponding with them on his CarePage.
“He likes us to check to see who is sending him notes,” says Kim. “Knowing we were so supported and that so many people cared is what got us through.”

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For more articles, download the Summer '08 issue (PDF)