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Story of Hope: Scott Fink
Scott Fink is a born-and-bred New Yorker, married 20 years to his wife, Kelly, and father to 14-year-old twin daughters. He’s called New York City home for most of his life, aside from his undergraduate years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the early months of the pandemic when he moved his family to Long Island to shelter in place. Having worked at the American Stock Exchange on Sept. 11, 2001, he is no stranger to life’s challenges, but one of his biggest was being diagnosed with lymphoma in the midst of a raging global pandemic.
An avid runner, Fink has completed numerous half marathons. Following one of his training runs in October of 2020, he felt a debilitating pain in his back like nothing he’d experienced before. Unbeknownst to him, this was Fink’s first symptom, which ended up leading him to a lymphoma diagnosis.
Upon receiving his diagnosis, Fink’s mind went immediately to the worst-case scenario. Knowing nothing about the disease, he was uncertain what his future would hold or how he could overcome this obstacle.
“It was so unnerving for me. I was genuinely shocked, just blown away. I was afraid and initially had trouble wrapping my mind around what it was ultimately going to be,” said Fink.
As he reflects on his lymphoma journey to date, he continues to be grateful for all the support and encouragement he received from his community – including the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF).
“One thing I learned early on in my treatment is that you shouldn’t internalize your feelings. Talking to people who have had similar journeys and letting yourself talk about it allows it to be a more livable situation for us all,” says Fink. “That’s the beauty of organizations such as LRF. Aside from the wonderful research they fund, LRF creates a community that ensures nobody feels alone.”
