It seems inconceivable: a vaccine that can teach the immune system to attack nefarious cancer cells.
Even breast cancer survivor Kristen Dahlgren, who reported on health topics during her time as an NBC correspondent, hadn’t heard of cancer vaccines. But now she’s using her reach and influence as a bullhorn to spread word about the research behind them, and help from an old friend is amplifying the call.
That’s thanks to a major philanthropic commitment from Sarasota’s Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation. As the first major donor to Dahlgren’s newly established Cancer Vaccine Coalition, the foundation has pledged a $2 million matching gift to accelerate the development of breast cancer vaccines. Experts say the funding could be a game changer for research efforts stalled by a lack of financial backing.
The Jellison family, who lost patriarch Brian Jellison to cancer in 2018, recognized the urgency of the research. Their shared experiences—Dahlgren as a breast cancer survivor and the Jellisons as a family affected by loss—fueled a partnership rooted in hope and action. Dahlgren was a close childhood friend of Hilary Jellison (now Hilary Jellison Simonds), Brian and Sheila’s daughter. Dahlgren and Hilary lost touch as they grew up, but reconnected decades later after Dahlgren saw the family post a social media comment on a story about Dahlgren’s choice to leave journalism to start the nonprofit…