After their son, Michael, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) at age 4, Theresa and Rob Capolongo channeled grief into action. Determined to push toward better treatments—and ultimately a cure—they founded Michael’s Cause, a grassroots, all-volunteer nonprofit based in Staten Island, New York, where they live with Michael and his two siblings. Since 2011, Michael’s Cause has directly funded more than $3 million in DMD research and support, including $250,000 directed to the Duchenne Program at UMass Chan Medical School. 

As a Worcester County native, Justin Maykel, MD, often meets familiar faces through his medical practice—a unique privilege he never takes for granted. Among his patients, the late George (Geof) F. Booth II stands out as a remarkable, enduring presence in his life and career. Before he passed away in 2023, Geof and his wife, Penny Booth, bequeathed generous funding that was used to establish the Geof and Penny Booth Colorectal Surgery Research Fellowship. 

Remembered for her generous spirit and her capacity to connect deeply with others, Kerri Appleton’s life was tragically cut short in January 2025 by cholangiocarcinoma, a rare, incurable cancer. In a fitting tribute, the inaugural Kerri Appleton Legacy Golf Tournament, held last summer, raised critical funds for cholangiocarcinoma research at UMass Chan Medical School—with the hope of changing the course of this intractable disease.