Girard family is subject of TV special

YOUNGSTOWN -- For the Hoffman family of Girard, the television special "Time to Live" is more than just a TV program. It's their story, and the story of other cancer survivors and their families.
At 8 p.m. Wednesday, WFMJ TV 21 will air the special, which features Marlo Thomas as host and touts the accomplishments of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
Their story: When Dan Hoffman was 12, his allergy symptoms were chronic. Testing revealed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer, and a tumor in his chest. He was immediately referred to St. Jude's for treatment.
After six weeks of intensive chemotherapy at the hospital, Dan returned there on a regular basis for follow-up examinations and treatment. Nine years later, doctors declared him cured.
Now 23, Dan is living a healthy and happy life. He is a flight instructor at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, N.H., and his mother, Maurita, credits St. Jude's.
"From the beginning, St. Jude took care of the entire family," she says. "They helped us understand what was going on and led us through a dark and scary time."
Hospital history: The hospital was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas and is an internationally recognized biomedical research center dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic diseases of childhood. Its work is supported through funds raised by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.
ALSAC covers all costs not covered by insurance for medical treatment at St. Jude. Families without insurance are never asked to pay. For information, visit www.stjude.org.