About the Fund

Our Roots

The Daniel L. Edelstein Fund was started in 2005 to honor the life and memory of the late Daniel L. Edelstein. Dan was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at the young age of 50, the age when it is recommended that most people being screening. We were shocked! Given the absence of a family history of colon cancer, this was the last thing we expected.

Dan was determined to fight. He combined the cutting edge treatments provided by his doctors at Johns Hopkins with the most relevant complementary and alternative approaches. Dan changed his diet to include entirely organic foods in their purest form, unprocessed and fresh. From fresh salads and fish, to whole grain breads and fruits, each meal consisted of a powerhouse of cancer fighting chemicals. To supplement his standard course of treatment, Dan also adopted a well researched strategy of complementary supplements. Combining these dietary changes with a disciplined approach to exercising, walking at least 30 minutes per day; Dan thrived throughout his course of treatment and far outlived his initial prognosis.

In spite of the Dan's relentless determination to get well, even with the tremendous care of his doctors and a comprehensive treatment plan utilizing the best of both conventional and complementary medicine, he lost his fight. In his honor and to further advance colorectal cancer research and awareness we established the Daniel L. Edelstein fund. The fund supports key components of the Johns Hopkins Colon Cancer Center in order to further our understanding of the role of Nutrition, Exercise, and Complementary Medicine as a means to prevent and aid in the treatment of colorectal cancer.