Joe McDonough, president of The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Optimistic) Basis, has devoted practically twenty years to supporting youngsters with most cancers and their households. The inspiration, which he co-founded following the lack of his son Andrew, has grown into one of many largest suppliers of economic help for households of youngsters going through most cancers in the US.
In December 2025, McDonough was acknowledged on the
In an interview with CURE, McDonough shared his household’s story and the inspiration behind the B+ Basis.
Transcript
Are you able to inform us about your son Andrew and the way his story formed your work in blood most cancers advocacy?
My title is Joe McDonough. My household and I dwell in Wilmington, Delaware, and our lives had been excellent again in 2007 by our requirements. My spouse and I had two youngsters on the time; Ali was a junior in highschool, and Andrew was a freshman. On a Saturday, Andrew helped his journey soccer crew win a Pennsylvania State Championship. Lower than 48 hours later, we had been on the hospital pondering Andrew had appendicitis. We had been advised that Andrew had leukemia. Andrew then went into septic shock and cardiac arrest, lower than 48 hours after main his crew to a state championship. After they resuscitated Andrew, I stated to the physician, “Is my son going to be okay?” He checked out me and stated, “Your son is not going to dwell by the night time.” I used to be shocked, and I stated, “Solely God and Andrew know.”
My son lived by that night time, and he battled for 167 days within the hospital, principally within the pediatric intensive care unit, earlier than dying in his 16-year-old sister’s arms on July 14, 2007. Two weeks earlier than we went into the hospital, earlier than he was identified, Andrew stated to me out of the blue, “Dad, what’s my blood sort?” I used to be embarrassed as a result of I did not know. It seems, on day two, we came upon his blood sort was B optimistic. So, Allie began placing posters on the door that stated, “Do not come into this room until you are going to B+.” It simply took off. We had 900,000 hits from everywhere in the world whereas we had been within the hospital.
After Andrew went to heaven, with the blessing of my spouse and daughter, I left my profession at JPMorgan Chase, and we began The Andrew McDonough B+ Basis to share the blessings that we had obtained with others. We began off serving to households pay their payments. While you’re within the hospital for a protracted time frame, you miss paychecks, and households face eviction, or the facility is turned off, or the automotive must be repaired to allow them to get to the hospital, or they need assistance with fertility preservation. Now, 18 years later, we are the largest supplier of economic help to households of children with most cancers in the US, and we additionally fund analysis globally so we are able to change the panorama of childhood most cancers for future children.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
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