Prostate cancer awareness website profiles local survivor

by Keith Corcoran


A screenshot of Dan Hennessey of Newcombville on the Abbott Laboratories website. The site will be public later this summer.
 COUNTY - Cancer survivor Dan Hennessey's well-chronicled battle against the disease has now found its way to an awareness website set up by a multinational pharmaceuticals company.

 The interactive website shows the Newcombville resident and three other men in various risk categories telling their personal stories of treatments and dealing with this particular type of cancer. A urologist is also featured.

 Mr. Hennessey said Abbott Laboratories covered his airfare and expenses to fly him to Quebec for video shoots for the site. They also paid him a stipend for his time.

 Abbott Laboratories was a sponsor of Mr. Hennessey's book, "With the Snap of a Glove."

  Although he never used Abbott products during the course of his treatment, Mr. Hennessey said the company asked him to help out with the "I Have Prostate Cancer" website.

 "It's helping and it will help," Mr. Hennessey said, noting it is designed to aid cancer patients and will be accessible via a user name and password.

 On the site, Mr. Hennessey's identified to be in the "high-risk" category. Mr. Hennessey was 49 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer about four years ago.

 "With the Snap of a Glove" is a book about his experiences. The text was released earlier this year and a portion of sales go to the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser.

 The Abbott site will be unveiled on a national stage later this summer.

 The website offers information and is meant for educational purposes and cautions the material shouldn't be substituted for a doctor's advice.



posted on 09/07/10