Jennifer Smith’s Legacy of Hope & Action
Nothing is more powerful than the love and dedication of those who rally to the fight when you need it most.
Jennifer Smith not only inspired the creation of My PowerPak, she helped raise more than $400,000 for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) research—often from her hospital bed.
Her journey began with a diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer in 2018, a rare and aggressive form of the disease. In 2021, she developed treatment-related AML, a complication that affects only about 1% of triple-negative breast cancer patients.
Rather than step back, Jenn embraced the love and support of her community—something we hope every person facing a serious illness can experience. Her “PowerPak” of 10 close friends (including My PowerPak founder Krista O’Malley) rallied around her, refusing to let her face this all alone. They coordinated care, stayed connected, and used the My PowerPak app to organize support and fuel her mission to advance AML research.
That determination powered the work of her physician, Dr. Guido Marcucci, at City of Hope—research exploring targeted therapies, treatments that block leukemia stem cells, and innovative CAR T cell approaches.
Jenn’s legacy lives on through the lives she touched and the hope she inspired. Read the full City of Hope article here.
