CURE Media Group Selects Winners of Inaugural Poetry Contest

September 21, 2021

Four winning poems were selected out of over 200 entries to be featured in CURE® magazine.

CRANBURY, N.J., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CURE Media Group, the industry-leading multimedia platform devoted to cancer updates, research and education that reaches over 1 million patients, survivors and caregivers, is thrilled to announce the winners of its first poetry contest.

"It is an honor to recognize the personal and impactful work of individuals who have had their lives affected by cancer," said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences™, parent company of CURE Media Group. "We received many outstanding submissions, and the incredible response to the program reinforces the mission we are trying to accomplish — inspiring our audience. Congratulations to this year's winners!"

The winners of the 2021 poetry contest are:

  • Richard Strickland, "An Ode to Dr. Press": Written in honor of Dr. Oliver Press, who treated Strickland received a diagnosis of CLL. Press later died from brain cancer himself.
  • Dana Stewart, "The Couch": This poem is about the story of Stewart's journey with therapy due to PTSD from her breast cancer diagnosis. It is about the cancer that continues to get into the session, but the couch that holds her up.
  • Amy Smart, "Straighten Your Crown": After Smart received a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer at 39 years old, losing her hair was one of the most challenging parts of her journey. This poem is about how people say "it's just hair," but to her and other patients it's more than that; it is a sign of the journey they are on and a path they have no control over.
  • Desiree LeRoy, "Texting You": Written in honor of her friend who passed away from breast cancer, this poem is comprised of text messages between the two women talking through different parts of the journey.


The four winning poems will be featured in CURE® magazine's fall 2021 print issue.

For more information on CURE Media Group, click here.

About CURE Media Group
CURE Media Group is the leading resource for cancer updates, research and education. It combines a full suite of media products, including its industry-leading website, curetoday.com; innovative video programs, such as "CURE Connections®"; a series of widely attended events; and CURE® magazine, which reaches over 1 million readers. CURE Media Group is a brand of MJH Life Sciences™, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. 

CURE Media Group Media Contact

Alyssa Scarpaci, 609-716-7777

ascarpaci@mjhlifesciences.com