Together We Can Make a Difference

The Press of Atlantic City reads “Grateful Cancer Survivor Raises Funds for Jefferson Hospital”

July 4, 2007

Cancer survivor raising funds for Jefferson By DEBRA RECH For The Press, (609) 463-6719

OCEAN CITY — Jessica Quintin ran a half-marathon the day before she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of the parotid gland, the main salivary gland. This type of cancer is so rare, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where Jessica was treated, treats only 28 to 30 cases per year. Jessica had no symptoms other than feeling a lump near her right ear while she was pregnant with her second child. She and her husband, Jeffrey, live in Ocean City and have two daughters, Julia, now 3 and Ella, now 1.

With no cancer in her family and no risk factors for cancer (such as smoking or drinking), Jessica was the picture of health in 2006. She ran, biked, skied and enjoyed being a stay-at-home mother to Julia, who was then 2, and Ella, then 7 months old. Jeffrey sells real estate with Prudential Fox and Roach Realtors.

Although the lump Jessica felt didn’t hurt, it didn’t go away so she decided to see an ear, nose and throat doctor who did some tests. On Oct. 17, 2006, she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor of the parotid gland. She underwent surgery at Cape Regional Medical Center, then began radiation treatment at Jefferson five days a week.

On May 3, after a thorough MRI at Jefferson hospital, Jessica received the news that she is now cancer free. Her surgery and radiation were a complete success. Because of her gratitude to the doctors at Jefferson, Jessica decided, along with Jeffrey, to start a foundation that would benefit the hospital and the Quintin Foundation was born.

“On the long drives each day to Philadelphia, Jeff and I talked about starting some type of nonprofit foundation that would directly benefit Jefferson Hospital because of the wonderful experience I had there,” Jessica said. “Right from the beginning, I felt a connection with the nursing staff, my doctor and the radiation technicians. From my first consult to my last visit, the staff there was warm, compassionate, professional and patient. “That really made me feel they were on my side, and that together as a team, we could beat this cancer,” she added. “So with family and friends in Ocean City and throughout this area, we committed ourselves to raising money and community awareness of the fight against cancer and to help the Jefferson Cancer Network for cancer care and clinical research.”

The Quintin Foundation’s first fundraiser, a martini tasting, raised nearly $38,000 mainly through word-of-mouth. Jessica said she and Jeffrey wanted to have control of what the funds raised will be used for at Jefferson.

“We have complete control to use the money for the hospital however we wish and our first project is to redo the waiting area,” Jessica said. “I sat there every day with some very sick people. The small TV always had Judge Judy or Jerry Springer playing and let me tell you, that kind of stuff is NOT helpful to keep a positive attitude while fighting what is the hardest thing people have to endure — cancer.”

Early in her treatment, Jessica began to research her type of cancer online and quit immediately because she wanted to concentrate on the cure.

“I stopped reading about my cancer because I decided to focus more on the solution instead of the problem anymore, which in my case was radiation,” Jessica said. “During treatment I was really tired and burnt, I lost my sense of taste and a lot of hair in the back of my head and being a total ponytail girl, which bothered me. But what uplifted me was the response of people in this community. We go to St. Augustine Church but I was on every prayer list at every church in the city and prayer, along with positive thoughts, is what helped me endure this.”

When diagnosed, Jessica said she first felt total shock.

“Here I was doing everything right to be healthy and then I got that news,” Jessica said. “I was crushed. I’m 30 and a young mother and I wasn’t ready to die.”

Jeffrey responded pretty much the same way.

“We’re living a wonderful life with two beautiful girls and then all of a sudden, I’m faced with the possibility of my wife dying and leaving me a single father,” Jeffrey said, shaking his head. “We both decided we weren’t going to let cancer beat us. We just responded immediately to treatment to get Jessica cured.”

Jessica’s first surgery took more than four hours and the couple had decided to allow her doctor to remove the entire parotid gland rather than just the tumor. But by doing so, the surgeon had to dissect the main facial nerve.

“That nerve is like spaghetti with five threads so the surgery was very tedious and we faced the possibility that if any of those nerves were even nicked, Jessica would have facial paralysis or other problems,” Jeffrey said. “She did have some droopiness of her right side of her face at first. She couldn’t smile, but the nerves regenerated, and now, her gorgeous smile is back.”

“I can’t tell you how much we are grateful to Jefferson and the doctor who operated at Cape Regional Medical Center,” he added. “That’s why we started our foundation. My goal is to raise a million dollars for Jefferson. Both of us view life so differently now. We take nothing for granted and just want to give back.”

Jessica’s goal is to support both Jefferson Hospital and the patients receiving treatment there.