Jennifer Vertentes started her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION after being inspired by meeting 3 year old Emerson Lucier at Hasbro Children's Hospital where she was being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

6/9/2025

Help and Hope Happen Here

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55:07

Jennifer Vertentes was a police officer in Providence Rhode Island when she decided to go to Hasbro Children's Hospital on Thanksgiving Day of 2018 to meet kids who had to spend their Thanksgiving being treated for different reasons, including being treated for Pediatric Cancer. While she was there she met 3 year old Emerson Lucier who was going through her 3rd battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia . This meeting inspired Jennifer to start her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION to help put a smile on the faces of these kids who were battling these difficult diseases. Jennifer, who in 2023 had to retire from the Police Department after suffering an injury while trying to save a person who was drowning, was also diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer that year. Fortunately for the Pediatric Cancer community, she continues to help these kids as she deals with her disease, that fortunately was diagnosed at a very early stage.

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Jennifer Vertentes started her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION after being inspired by meeting 3 year old Emerson Lucier at Hasbro Children's Hospital where she was being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Help and Hope Happen Here

More episodes from "Help and Hope Happen Here"

Patty Furco will talk about the amazing journey that her then 4 year old daughter Abby went through beginning in 2011 with a diagnosis of Leukemia, and ending with her passing in October of 2021.

Stephanie Hebert will talk about her 14 year old daughter Olivia who was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer when she was 14 years old in October of 2024

Kim Bowman will talk about her beloved daughter Bella who was diagnosed with an Ependymoma Brain Tumor on New Years day of 2011, fought bravely for almost 12 months, and passed away on December 23rd of that year, at the age of 8

Cedar Connell and his mom Kiki will talk about Cedar's diagnosis of B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when he was 15 years old in 2022 and will be completing his treatment this summer.

Jen and Will Fox will talk about their son Dalton who passed away from Ewings Sarcoma in 2021, a journey which began in the spring of 2017 and which was not properly diagnosed for 9 months.

Aly Arenholz will talk about her diagnosis of Stage 2 Thyroid Cancer when she was 15 years old and her Non-Profit KICK CANCER LIKE A GIRL BOSS which she started while she was in treatment

Arianna Wilson will talk about her twin sister Alexandra who passed away from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when they were both 16 years old in 2002 and will discuss her role as Executive Director of the Foundation named for her beloved sister.

Jennifer Vertentes started her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION after being inspired by meeting 3 year old Emerson Lucier at Hasbro Children's Hospital where she was being treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Jon and Jenn Wall will talk about their Non-Profit Zach's Bridge, which honors the memory of their son Zach who passed away from Osteosarcoma when he was 16 years old in 2021. Their non-profit focuses on a parent to parent mentoring program.

Maya Luria will talk about her daughter Kelsey who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in November of 2014 and passed away on April 18th of 2015, just 6 days after her 18th birthday.