Updated: April 2012

Happy Spring! Please take a moment to meet two young people who we are helping right now.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or if you'd like to run a fundraiser for Smile Forever.

We also accept corporate matches from companies.
Thank you for your continued dedication, support & volunteerism.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Falkenstern, Director
Telephone/Fax: (201) 408 5239

 

Glenn Lightner: Anaplastic Ependymoma Grade III Brain Cancer

LONG VALLEY — After four surgeries in four years, the Lightner family is headed to Belgium to try an experimental treatment for their 13-year-old son, Glenn.
Glenn has been fighting anaplastic ependymoma grade three brain cancer since he was first diagnosed at the age of 8 in 2007. He has undergone several surgeries,
chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He has received treatment in New York and is currently under the care of the doctors at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Tennessee.
Despite the treatments, the cancer continues to return and grow. Glenn recently underwent surgery on Monday, March 5 to remove a growth.
Now, the family is considering new forms of treatment to fight the cancer and neighbors have set up a website to help alleviate some of the financial costs to the family.
“Thankfully I’ve got an amazing group of neighbors,” said Larry Lightner, Glenn’s father. “When it comes to that website, I’m just speechless.
I’m not used to people rallying like this - it’s just amazing.” Larry estimates the cost incurred to the family to pay for the treatments at $75,000 over the last four years.
Now the family is going to work with a doctor in Belgium to try a new immunotherapy. He has a secondary treatment lined up in Germany that involves raising
Glenn’s body temperature to 107 degrees to damage the cell wall. Larry estimates the cost of this trip at about $12,000 a week for treatments alone.
Larry decided to look for treatments abroad after four years of treatments in America. “I know what exists here, I’m trying to get it to stop,”
Larry said of the cancer explaining his trip to Belgium. So far the website has already raised $19,120 in just a few weeks. The goal on the website is $107,000.
Glenn, a Long Valley Middle School student, enjoys playing football and basketball with his younger brother, Karl, and friends.

Please visit our events page to see benefits for Glenn.

Christina Knanishu: Esophageal Cancer

Last month she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and needs our support. Please click here to read about her story.

Please donate to help Christina and her family during this time. Checks can be made out to the Smile Forever Foundation
Please send to: Smile Forever PO Box 306 Closter, NJ 07624

In Memo, please write: For Christina. Pay by credit card via phone to 201-408-5239