Don’t Be Afraid to Accept Help: Benny’s Cancer Caregiver Story

Benny shares his experience and advice as a partner and caregiver to a cancer patient. #CIM21 #Immune2Cancer #CaregiverStory

Caregiving to a cancer patient can be very challenging. Benny Juarez has supported his partner Kristin Kleinhofer through years of treatments, remissions, follow-ups, and survivorship, each with their own difficulties. In addition to patience and preparation, caregivers need to be able to accept care and help for themselves at times. Don’t be afraid to ask, or accept the help offered.
“My job has really been to take care of Kristin emotionally, physically. You have to take care of yourself, too.”

In 2010, Kristin Kleinhofer was feeling healthy when she found a bump on the ride side of her head and thought it was just a “harmless cyst.” After her mother suggested she see a doctor, Kristin met with an oncologist and she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. When standard treatments failed to keep Kristin's cancer at bay, she enrolled in a clinical trial of a CAR T cell therapy in 2014. Two weeks before Christmas, a bone marrow biopsy confirmed that the cancer was gone and Kristin was in remission. “It was the best Christmas gift” for Kristin and her entire family. Now, Kristin celebrates life with her family and partner Benny, checking travel and other adventures off her bucket list. https://www.cancerresearch.org/patien...


This video is part of the 9th Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™ in June 2021, hosted by the Cancer Research Institute. Help us raise awareness of the lifesaving potential of immunotherapy for all types of cancer. Let's fuel the next scientific discoveries and breakthrough treatments through learning, engagement, and storytelling. https://www.cancerresearch.org/june #Immune2Cancer

Immunotherapy patient stories are part of the Cancer Research Institute's Answer to Cancer Patient Education Program. Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. https://www.cancerresearch.org

Cancer Research Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 13-1837442. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.