Empowering Patients & Families To Be Invincible

Philadelphia, PA – Through the HEADtable™ program, the HEADstrong Foundation™ is proving that often it’s the little things that have the largest impact, especially for cancer patients and their families. HEADtable is a service that brings the elements of the family dinner table into the hospital, helping to nurture the well-being of patients receiving care, providing them a sense of normalcy.  Originally stemming from the organization’s commitment to annually serving a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal to patients, families and staff, the Foundation has built upon this initiative and in 2014, will be increasing the frequency, providing meal alternatives as well as outlets of entertainment in hopes of improving accommodations.

On Tuesday, February 11th, the HEADstrong Foundation™ hosted Invincible Night for the patients, families and staff of the Rhoads Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.  Conference rooms were transformed into movie theatres and the organization served soft pretzels, popcorn and other treats and showed the inspirational movie Invincible, based on the life of Vince Papale.  What made the evening even more special was that Mr. Invincible himself, Vince Papale, who is also a colorectal cancer survivor, accompanied HF president Cheryl Colleluori and a team of dedicated volunteers to deliver hope, strength and inspiration to the patients and families receiving cancer.

“It was very fulfilling to have the opportunity to visit patients and families alongside of Vince Papale.  Vince has a charisma that is contagious and we are truly thankful for his involvement with the HEADstrong Foundation.  We are striving to be the difference maker for families who are living day-to-day, and experiencing the hardships of a cancer diagnosis by providing ways of improving their quality of life.  We are building upon the HEADtable program to make patients feel more like guests and improve the patient experience.  This program has been extremely well received and it is a great opportunity to share our experiences assuring families that they are not alone in their fight.  Spending a few moments to brighten someone’s day when things seem so dark is invaluable.” Cheryl Colleluori, HF President and Nick’s Mom

On Monday, April 7th, HEADstrong will return to the Rhoads Pavilion to present Phillies Opening Day.  The Philadelphia Phillies home opener for the 2014 season against the Milwaukee Brewers will begin at 3:05PM that day and HEADstrong will attempt to convert conferences rooms into a ballpark atmosphere, serving traditional ballpark fare, distributing Philadelphia Phillies T-Shirts and airing the game live.  Phillies alum, Tommy Greene, best known for throwing a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Montreal Expos on May 23, 1991 and for his role on the 1993 World Series team, will accompany HEADstrong and visit with patients and families.

­­­­­­­­­­About HEADtable™

HEADtable™ is a program that brings the beneficial elements of the family dinner table to hospitals in Philadelphia by serving home-style meals and providing entertainment for cancer patients, families and medical staff. On a monthly basis, HEADstrong team leaders and volunteers work to transform hospital conference rooms into dining rooms and serve a buffet of hope, improving the mental well-being of patients and providing a them with a few hours of normalcy.

HEADstrong Founder Nicholas Colleluori valued the importance and benefits of sharing a meal with his family, especially during the holidays. It was one of Nick’s final requests of his family to serve a Thanksgiving feast at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was treated. To date, thousands of patients, families, and medical staff have been served through HEADtableTM.