My name is Jeffrey Schultz. I am a cancer survivor, a caregiver, and a passionate volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) in South Florida for over 17 years, having served as past Board Chair for SE Florida.
While I am a survivor of Prostate Cancer my conviction as a Voices of Hope speaker is driven by my late daughter, Lainie. Diagnosed with Adrenal Carcinoma at 18 months old, she beat cancer early in life, but at age 24 was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer—later discovering she had Li-Fraumeni Syndrome. Over her life, she courageously fought seven different cancers before passing away from Glioblastoma at age 41.
Standing by Lainie through every progression required immense strength. As a father and caregiver, watching her fight was painful, yet her resilience fueled my own. I focused on being her anchor—offering steadfast support, comfort, and optimism through endless treatments. Early in her fight, an ACS survivor sat with Lainie and gave her hope. That moment transformed our family and showed me the vital impact of peer support.
Cancer continues to touch my life, as my wife of 53 years, Kathy, recently faced her own new cancer diagnosis after surviving a bone marrow transplant seven years ago.
These profound family battles have given me the purpose to turn pain into action. I share our story to offer comfort to families facing a new diagnosis and to inspire anyone in treatment to “Live Each Day As If It Was Your First.”