Life Comes Full Circle for Survivor and Scholarship Recipient
Meet Jennifer
As Jennifer Toth walked onto the oncology unit for her first clinical rotation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she knew her journey had come full circle. Glancing down at her hospital ID badge as a student nurse and outfitted in her scrubs, she knew this would be her dream nursing job. And now, she has it.
Jennifer recently accepted her position in pediatric oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – the very same medical facility where she received treatment to battle hepatoblastoma when she was two years-old.
During high school, Jennifer set sights on the highly respected and rigorous nursing program at the University of Pennsylvania. Fortunately, The National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS) was there to help her accomplish her goals.
The NCCS has assisted cancer survivors attain their educational and career goals for over a decade through the Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program.
As Jennifer planned for college, she was still in close contact with a nurse who helped her through long-term follow up care in a cancer survivorship program. She provided Jennifer with a list of scholarships, including information about the NCCS and the Beyond the Cure program.
Jennifer received the Beyond the Cure scholarship every year she was in school. It enabled her to find the work she loves -providing the next generation of pediatric oncology patients with the same devotion and compassion she received from her medical team.
“The nurses who cared for me and supported my family were both literally and figuratively, lifesavers. My nurse practitioner was a source of immeasurable hope and comfort to my family throughout treatment, and she encouraged me to consider a career in nursing for myself.”
Because of the financial assistance and her perseverance to complete her nursing program with excellence, Jennifer is primed to take another step forward on her journey. She recently started back to school to get her master’s degree in nursing and will become a nurse practitioner.
Jennifer is forever grateful for the support of the generous community that makes the scholarship program possible.
“One of the many things I’ve learned from my experience with cancer is how many kind individuals are willing to help people they haven’t even met. In addition to my family members, friends, teachers, doctors and nurses, the generous people who support the NCCS have helped me get to this point in my education, and career,” she concluded.