The Jonathan B. Loden Foundation was founded in 2006 in memory of Jonathan Brett Loden, who died May 12, 2006, at the age of 33. The Foundation helps to fund research for oral and head and neck cancer in his memory. One of its events is the annual Jonathan B. Loden Memorial Golf Tournament. The first tournament we held on October 16, 2006. Through the efforts of family, friends, and many golfers, the foundation has contributed over $210,000 to the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Anyone who knew him will tell you that Jonathan enjoyed life to the fullest. He managed to pack a normal lifetime of adventures, and more, into his abbreviated one. He was fearless (sometimes, dangerously so), and up for the challenge of all life had to offer, but nothing prepared him for the fight of his life with head and neck cancer.
Jon was first diagnosed in February, 2004 with advanced stage tongue cancer. After extensive surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center, doctors removed the tumor and many lymph nodes and reconstructed his tongue with tissue and blood vessels from his arm. He came home to heal and prepare for many weeks of daily radiation and several rounds of chemotherapy. Jonathan spent the summer fighting depression and the effects of the treatments, but with the help and support of family and friends he was back on his feet by fall and ready to get on with a new kind of normal—life as a cancer survivor-with the mental and physical scars to prove it.
By February of 2005, however, despite his determination to will away the signs, Jon’s tumor returned with a vengeance. He began treatment shortly thereafter with Dr. Arlene Forastiere, Professor of Oncology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery, and Professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at Johns Hopkins Hospital. For the next 15 months he endured weekly chemotherapy treatments. With courage, and sometimes grace and humor, he also learned to live with a tracheotomy so he could get enough oxygen, a stomach tube when he could no longer swallow food and a pump to administer medicine for the constant pain.
Despites Dr. Forastiere’s efforts and Jonathan’s huge will to live, he lost his battle with head and neck cancer on May 12, 2006 at the age of 33, surrounded by loving family and friends at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
On the day of his funeral, his brother Bryan vowed to begin a foundation to honor his memory by raising funds for head and neck cancer research and announced his intention to host the first annual Jonathan. B. Loden Memorial Golf Tournament later that same year. Many said it could not be organized in such a short time, but with determination and help from family, friends, volunteers and business associates, he achieved his goal-the tournament of 2006 was a success ! Bryan was able to present Dr. Forastiere with a check for $6000.00.
Jonathan admired and trusted his doctor with his life, and she, in turn, admired her patient’s great courage. We know he would approve of the decision to allow Dr. Forastiere and her team to allocate, as they see fit, our donation for ongoing research in this specialized field. The people at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins have expressed their deep appreciation of the efforts of Bryan and others for this worthy cause.
To make a contribution you may send your donation to:
The Jonathan B. Loden Foundation
6205 Mallet Drive
Mount Airy, MD. 21771
Jon was first diagnosed in February, 2004 with advanced stage tongue cancer. After extensive surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center, doctors removed the tumor and many lymph nodes and reconstructed his tongue with tissue and blood vessels from his arm. He came home to heal and prepare for many weeks of daily radiation and several rounds of chemotherapy. Jonathan spent the summer fighting depression and the effects of the treatments, but with the help and support of family and friends he was back on his feet by fall and ready to get on with a new kind of normal—life as a cancer survivor-with the mental and physical scars to prove it.
By February of 2005, however, despite his determination to will away the signs, Jon’s tumor returned with a vengeance. He began treatment shortly thereafter with Dr. Arlene Forastiere, Professor of Oncology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery, and Professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at Johns Hopkins Hospital. For the next 15 months he endured weekly chemotherapy treatments. With courage, and sometimes grace and humor, he also learned to live with a tracheotomy so he could get enough oxygen, a stomach tube when he could no longer swallow food and a pump to administer medicine for the constant pain.
Despites Dr. Forastiere’s efforts and Jonathan’s huge will to live, he lost his battle with head and neck cancer on May 12, 2006 at the age of 33, surrounded by loving family and friends at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
On the day of his funeral, his brother Bryan vowed to begin a foundation to honor his memory by raising funds for head and neck cancer research and announced his intention to host the first annual Jonathan. B. Loden Memorial Golf Tournament later that same year. Many said it could not be organized in such a short time, but with determination and help from family, friends, volunteers and business associates, he achieved his goal-the tournament of 2006 was a success ! Bryan was able to present Dr. Forastiere with a check for $6000.00.
Jonathan admired and trusted his doctor with his life, and she, in turn, admired her patient’s great courage. We know he would approve of the decision to allow Dr. Forastiere and her team to allocate, as they see fit, our donation for ongoing research in this specialized field. The people at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins have expressed their deep appreciation of the efforts of Bryan and others for this worthy cause.
To make a contribution you may send your donation to:
The Jonathan B. Loden Foundation
6205 Mallet Drive
Mount Airy, MD. 21771