Summer 2025
By Cyrena Musset
Photography by Rick Bern, Craig Orsini
Cindy and AJ Janower’s introduction to the challenging world of childhood cancer began when their daughter, Samantha “Sammi,” was just three years old. A casual remark from their babysitter about Sammi’s limited use of her right side led to a life-altering discovery. Sammi, now 24, was diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor, and began treatment at the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic. Her mother, Cindy, remembered: “It was a truly scary moment when we first understood our daughter had a life-threatening disease with no known cure.”
“Pediatric brain tumors were a classic orphan disease with limited researcher interest due to limited funding for new drug development,” AJ recalled. “We decided to raise money for early stage research to break this doom loop.” Their efforts, alongside several other similarly situated families, led to the creation of the Dana-Farber Pediatric Low-Grade Astrocytoma (PLGA) Program, the world’s first multi-disciplinary program focused on research for these types of brain tumors. Harnessing Dana-Farber’s expertise, this program was pivotal in the identification, development, and FDA approval of tovorafenib (Ojemda), the first-ever systemic therapy for BRAF-rearranged pediatric low-grade gliomas.
“These families raised the money to fund the research which led to a new FDA-approved drug,” Pratiti “Mimi” Bandopadhayay, MBBS, PhD, a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Dana-Farber and the director of the Dana-Farber PLGA Program, said with pride. “As a result of these efforts, children all over the world will benefit from meaningfully improved outcomes and higher quality of life.”
The Janower family’s dedication to the Institute spans the two decades since Sammi’s initial diagnosis, including multiple research grants and capital campaign commitments, as well as AJ’s appointment as a Dana-Farber Trustee in 2015. Additionally, AJ has been a tireless fundraiser and is poised for a 17th riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the nation’s single most successful athletic fundraising event and Dana-Farber’s largest contributor, accounting for 66% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.
Sammi first joined AJ in the PMC when she was just 15, becoming the youngest participant that year to complete the full two-day ride. “Sammi was not physically able to ride on her own, so we did it together on a tandem bike,” AJ said.
“She was our photographer, social media director, and DJ. Occasionally, she even pedaled!” This summer Sammi will ride in her 10th PMC, providing inspiration for a cadre of dear friends on Team Samantha and other teams who dedicate their funds to pediatric brain tumor research.
“Thanks to the Janower family’s ongoing support, the PLGA Program has made amazing progress for patients and families,” Bandopadhayay said. “Their contributions will continue to help us explore new ways to target these tumors, train the next generation of scientists, and keep our cutting-edge equipment up to date. I am very grateful for their partnership in this important work.” To ensure continued long-term progress, Cindy and AJ recently made a seven-figure bequest to advance pediatric brain tumor research at Dana-Farber. Planned gifts like bequests ensure critical future support that will sustain Dana-Farber’s mission in the decades to come.
“I feel tremendous gratitude for all of my caregivers at the Jimmy Fund Clinic; I know how fortunate I am to have a world-class team at my side. I’m also deeply proud of the Dana-Farber researchers, and our own small contribution to supporting them, to improve the prognosis for other similarly situated kids in the future.”
Sammi Janower, cancer survivor
Reflecting on her cancer journey, Sammi shared, “I feel tremendous gratitude for all of my caregivers at the Jimmy Fund Clinic; I know how fortunate I am to have a world-class team at my side. I’m also deeply proud of the Dana-Farber researchers, and our own small contribution to supporting them, to improve the prognosis for other similarly situated kids in the future.”