Chris Connery
Chris Connery and his wife Heidi first became aware of the efforts of Sarcoma Foundation of America in late 2007 as Heidi recovered from surgery to remove her right biceps muscle where the pleomorphic soft tissue sarcoma first appeared. While hardly medical people themselves (Chris being in international business and Heidi a residential architect), they were blessed to both have fathers who were in general medicine, with Heidi also having two Orthopedic surgeons as brothers. Even with all this medical knowledge in the families, little was known about this rare cancer. The SFA became an invaluable resource for information and a focal point for Chris and Heidi and their families to understand what research efforts were underway specifically for Sarcoma.
With strong care from a team of oncologists at Northwestern in Chicago, physicians were able to successful perform a biceps resection on Heidi and spare her right arm which, as an architectural draftsman by trade, was her lifeblood and passion. Heidi was able to resume her career soon thereafter. Within a year the cancer had unfortunately metastasized and Heidi began full on chemical, radiation and further surgical treatments. As her widowed husband, Chris now dedicates his life to doing what he can to fight in Heidi’s honor for others to (1) help to find less toxic ways to battle Sarcoma, (2) help to find ways to extend quality life as long as possible and (3) to one day hope to find a cure not only for Sarcoma but for all cancer. Chris brings to the board a passion fueled by his enduring love for his wife.