How Hope Got Her Life Back After A Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

When bladder cancer forced its way into Hope’s life four years ago, all she could think about were her and wife Kathy’s two children--Ashley and Justin, then 13 and 11 years old: how she wanted to see them grow up and continue being an active part of their lives. She couldn’t bear to think about leaving them.

Thanks to urologist Douglas Scherr, MD and medical oncologist David Nanus, MD and their team at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, she never had to.

Under Drs. Scherr’s and Nanus’ expert direction, Hope underwent a continent cutaneous urinary diversion, a procedure that entailed the surgical removal of her bladder and the creation of a new one from her intestine. She also benefited from Weill Cornell’s precision medicine program, which enabled her team to develop an immunotherapy treatment protocol based on her tumor’s genetic sequence and allowed her to resume living a normal life.

Fast-forward to the present: Ashley and Justin are now in high school, and Hope and Kathy have watched every soccer and baseball game. They are all looking forward to taking family trips together again, and doctors Nanus and Scherr continue to keep a close watch on Hope’s progress.

Watch the video below to hear Hope’s story and how Weill Cornell Medicine made it possible for her to reclaim the life she loves.