Dr. Jennifer Arnold of 'The Little Couple' to Keynote 3rd Annual MPN Heroes Recognition Event in Orlando

Jennifer Arnold, co-star of “The Little Couple” and a neonatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, will be the guest speaker at CURE® magazine’s 3rd Annual MPN Heroes™ recognition event on Friday, Dec. 4, prior to the annual meeting of hematologists.

Arnold will be among hundreds of attendees honoring eight heroes who have made significant contributions in the field of rare blood cancers known as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) at the event taking place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld® in Orlando, Fla. The heroes will be selected from hundreds of clinicians, caregivers and advocates nominated by patients and caregivers in the months leading up to the recognition event.

MPN Heroes is supported by Incyte Corporation, CancerCare, Cancer Support Community, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, MPN Advocacy & Education International, the MPN Education Foundation, the MPN Research Foundation and the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

“This event honors outstanding MPN caregivers and advocates who have gone above and beyond the standard of care for people with MPNs, demonstrating leadership within the MPN community or advancing the science of these rare blood cancers,” said Mike Hennessy Jr., president of Intellisphere Oncology and Healthcare Specialty Group, including CURE Media Group. “Hosting this event allows us to recognize MPN heroes and to showcase everything our company and CURE magazine support. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Arnold as our guest speaker. Not only is she a member of the medical community, she understands the challenges of coping with a rare disease as an individual, as well.”

Arnold stands at 3 foot 2 inches and has a rare type of dwarfism called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Type Strudwick, for which she has undergone more than 30 surgeries. TLC's docudrama, “The Little Couple,” follows the personal and professional lives of Arnold, her husband Bill and their two children, Will and Zoey. Arnold also has been involved in healthcare simulation education for the last eight years and is now the medical director of a state-of-the-art simulation center at Texas Children’s Hospital, where she is a practicing physician at the largest NICU in the country.

In December 2013, Arnold revealed she had cancer, a rare type of cancer stemming from an abnormal pregnancy: gestational trophoblastic neoplasm. She underwent surgery in addition to chemotherapy for three months before going into remission. Arnold will share her experiences and talk about the importance of a supportive community for those afflicted with a rare disease. She, like the people with MPNs, understands the loneliness of having a rare disease, with few like people to talk with and limited treatment options.

“Raising awareness of rare blood cancers, like MPNs, benefits both patients and their families — inspiring and increasing visibility for the community,” said Hervé Hoppenot, President and Chief Executive Officer of Incyte. “The MPN Heroes program highlights the incredible work and service that individuals bring to those affected by the disease and those dedicated to their care. By recognizing these heroes, we hope to encourage awareness, research and advances for the care and treatment of people living with MPNs.”

Supporting the recognition of MPN heroes and the MPN community is an ongoing effort of Incyte’s Voices of MPN™ awareness program. For every post made on the Wall of Voices, a site where patients recognize their MPN heroes, Incyte will donate $5 to the MPN Research Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.voicesofmpn.com.

About CURE Media Group

CURE Media Group’s flagship product, CURE magazine, is the indispensable guide to every stage of the cancer experience. With nearly 1 million readers, CURE is the largest consumer publication in the United States focused entirely on cancer, with broad distribution to cancer patients, cancer centers and advocacy groups. CURE Media Group’s offerings also include its online resource, curetoday.com; live meetings; a resource guide for the newly diagnosed; and the Extraordinary Healer™ national nursing award. CURE Media Group combines science and humanity to make cancer understandable. CURE Media Group is part of the Plainsboro, N.J.-based Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. (MJH), family of businesses, which includes the acclaimed OncLive® (http://www.onclive.com) platform of resources for the practicing oncologist. For more information, visit http://www.curetoday.com or http://www.mjhassoc.com.

About Incyte

Incyte Corporation is a Wilmington, Del.-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary small molecule drugs, primarily for oncology. For additional information on Incyte, please visit the company's website at http://www.incyte.com.

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Media Contacts

For CURE: Becky Taylor, 609-240-6886, becky(at)btaylorpa(dot)com

For Incyte: Catalina Loveman, 302-498-6171, cloveman(at)incyte(dot)com