JUDITH ANNE GRIFFIN

from Chelmsford, Massachusetts passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Nov 27, 2011, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Employed by Hewlett Packard, Jude received her Master's Degree from Lesley College. In 1996, Jude was given a 1% chance of surviving after being diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer; about 3-5 weeks. She told her doctors that "cancer won't kill me" and proceeded to surprise them: She was the first patient to ever have a bone marrow transplant using her own platelets and leave the hospital a week earlier than all previous patients. She had the highest number of platelet donors Dana Farber had ever seen; family, friends, churchgoers, and neighbors all came together to help Jude with her first of many hurdles in her courageous battle. Jude enrolled in all breast cancer drug trials and test procedures; many times suffering severe side effects, but the results enable patients today to be cured by the use of those very same drugs. She endured many radiations that caused permanent global Lymphadema causing her body to triple in size. Lymphadema was unheard of at that time and Jude worked with her doctors to better understand this side effect. She was sent to Chicago to demonstrate to the medical field at a physician's symposium what Global Lymphadema was, how it would inflame the body and how best to treat it. When Jude was bed ridden, unable to sit due to cancer spreading through her spine, she vowed to walk the Jimmy Fund Boston Marathon Cancer Walk for patients. That was her goal and for eight months Jude endured painful physical therapy at the Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Boston. She walked that patient marathon with her friends and family pushing a wheelchair behind her and in some cases pushing her in it when the road became too uneven. Jude was committed to finding a cure and her hope was that she would be alive to see it happen. She was never in remission and had chemotherapy regularly. During her most recent drug trial, her doctor thanked Jude for her "participation in this and all of the drug trials. It's because of you that we can cure some cancer patients. It's because of your successes with drugs like tomoxifin, taxol, and adriomicin, that patients are successfully battling their cancers. So, Thank You." Even now Jude's battle continues; she has donated her body to Harvard Medical School in the hopes that future doctors can better understand Lymphadema and find a cure for breast cancer. Jude was an inspiration to all who met her. Even though her body was in constant pain, Jude went out of her way for others. She brought stuffed animals to Dana Farber's Jimmy Fund children's cancer center to bring a smile to a child going through chemo. Active in her church and community, Jude would go to the homes of shut-ins to visit, say a prayer with them, and to deliver communion. She visited the ill at Lahey Hospital every week to give communion, lend a friendly ear, and to give patients hope. Jude would say, "I want to live and I want to beat cancer. If I can't beat cancer, then I want to help someone else do it." After fifteen years of battling this disease, Jude passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. She is survived by her parents Frank and Barbara Griffin of Chelmsford, MA, her siblings and their spouses: Karen Griffin and Michael Cavanagh of Lunenburg, MA, Keith and Brenda (Granfield) Griffin of Rindge, NH, Craig and Michelle (Ruby) Griffin of MA, and her niece and nephews: Nicole, Derrick, Mark, Connor and Justin Griffin. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Mary's Church in Chelmsford, MA, on December 10th at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jude's name to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for Breast Cancer Research