Theresa McDonnell, NP, cares for patients undergoing medical oncology treatment at the Mass General Cancer Center. Patients and their loved ones cherish Terry, who with extraordinary competence and compassion is often their bedrock throughout a harrowing period.
So moved was Carol Gray McCarthy by Terry’s devoted care that she established the John J. McCarthy Jr. Foundation for Pancreatic Research at Mass General. “From the day my husband John was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, we felt Terry was always by our side,” says Carol. “She gave us back our lives. We returned home to spend the winter in California, where Terry e-mailed us every day. Her daughter sang at John’s funeral.”
At age 42, Tony Menendez-Aponte was diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer. “Terry had a profound effect on my late husband and me,” says Fran Menendez-Aponte. “She got us where we needed to go when we were ready to handle it, including home hospice care, providing stability and comfort every step of the way.”
