Patient Stories

Danielle Menard Mazurowski, 39, was teaching music in a Virginia elementary school and planning her next vacation with her husband, Jay, when she learned that she had a rare cancer called adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) arising in the outer layer of the adrenal glands that rest on top of the kidneys.

Life can be snatched from you in an instant. A more diabolical way is to be told by your doctor that you have cancer. Is it just as much a life-crushing moment if you had an idea something was wrong and your doctor’s confir-mation somehow gave it bonafide legitimacy?

Danny Camaj is a real estate broker, family man and committed athlete. He’s been working out since he was 17, running, lifting weights, playing basketball, football, and soccer. “You name the sport, I did it,” Danny says. “Being active was my whole identity.”

Cody Artist went through years of escalating pain before he met Beth Schrope, MD, PhD. Director of NYP/Columbia’s Autologous Islet Cell Transplantation program, and the first to perform this operation in the New York area. This procedure finally ended his attacks and gave him back his life.

It was a brisk Sunday morning just before Thanksgiving. Greg Rocco, 61, worked out, got a haircut, and was doing a little holiday shopping, when he lost vision in one eye. He called his son on his cell phone, saying, “Something’s not right,” and within minutes he was in the ER at a Westchester hospital.

Ryan is a tough guy—a combat veteran and an NYPD cop. Once, on active duty, he had to have neck surgery without anesthesia. But, he says, that pain paled compared to his pancreatitis.

Generally found after the age of 69, and is more likely to strike men than women

See Richard Santangelo's video from 2015. Read his Story of Hope for an update!

Why Columbia’s Team Approach Achieves Astonishing Results