Andrew McMahon was surging to stardom in 2005, but at the same time that his singing career was taking off, he was hit with a leukemia diagnosis. He has since gone on to recover from the disease and now advocates for others suffering from cancer.
McMahon said that at the time of his diagnosis, his career and fame didn't matter much but that he was focused on his health. "It was a very difficult time, but I think I had amazing support from family and friends," he explained. "When you get sick like that, everything just recedes into the background." He credited his sister's stem cell donation for helping with his fast-tracked recovery.
Since then, he launched the Dear Jack Foundation that focuses on providing young cancer patients with programs that can help improve their quality of life. McMahon said he realized that some charities he had been working with weren't meeting the needs of the adolescents and young adults so he ended up taking matters into his own hands.
"Part of the reason is that we focus on this young adult bracket, which is 15 to 39 years of age, is that it is a particularly tricky time to go through this," he said.
Hena Doba, Michelle Castillo and Kristen Scholer showed off their costumes -- and some photos from their childhoods -- as staff celebrate Halloween at Cheddar News' studio and offices. Michelle Castillo also reported on a new immersive masquerade experience, 'Dreams of Dracula,' in New York City. And Daniella Park, principal baker at Baketivity, showed off some spooky treats to enjoy. Plus, we'll let you know which candies are popular as you prepare to go trick-or-treating.
With Halloween here, you can look to also make some spooky treats for your guests. Daniella Park, principal baker at Baketivity, joined Cheddar News to demonstrate some creative eats that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
A Massachusetts group is working to clear the names of people accused, convicted or executed for witchcraft in the state of Massachusetts in the 1600s.