Alex Voglewede and Paul DeRitis share a bond forged through resilience, survival, and a shared calling to help others. As cancer survivors and nurses at UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute, their journeys illustrate how personal trials can inspire extraordinary compassion.
Voglewede, 24, was just 16 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2016. A standout soccer goalie for Churchville-Chili High School, his life changed overnight when preseason weakness and a racing heart led to an emergency hospital visit and a swift cancer diagnosis. “It was a shock,” he recalls. By the next morning, his chemotherapy had begun.
For DeRitis, now 55, the journey began two decades earlier. As a young operating room nurse, husband, and father, his persistent cough and shortness of breath led to a chest X-ray that revealed Hodgkin lymphoma. His diagnosis was confirmed by a trusted colleague, Dr. Carolyn Jones, now chief of thoracic and foregut surgery at the University of Rochester. “It felt like a dull numbness,” he says, reflecting on the moment that derailed his life.
Both men underwent advanced stem-cell transplants at Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Blood & Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies program, where their immune systems were rebuilt using healthy donor cells. Today, they are thriving survivors and dedicated nurses.
Voglewede’s battle with cancer redirected his ambitions. Initially drawn to aviation and the military, he pivoted to nursing after encouragement from an oncology caregiver. Today, he works on Wilmot’s WCC6 inpatient unit, the same floor where he endured a grueling 31-day hospital stay as a teenager. Many of his colleagues are the same nurses who helped him through treatment. “It’s a unique, daily reminder that you’re not guaranteed anything,” he says, though the work also brings immense fulfillment.
DeRitis returned to Wilmot in 2018 as a nurse leader in apheresis, guiding patients through the intricate procedure of stem-cell collection. His decades of survivorship give him a profound ability to connect with patients facing similar battles. “I’m just paying back what they did for me,” he says, recalling the kindness of the nurses who cared for him during his own treatment.
Both men use their experiences to connect deeply with patients. Voglewede often speaks to young adults and pediatric patients, offering encouragement and hope. DeRitis, meanwhile, fosters “real conversations” with patients, helping them navigate fears and uncertainties with honesty and empathy.
Their efforts are noticed by colleagues like Rhona Henry, nurse manager on WCC6. “We take care of each other as we take care of our patients,” she says, highlighting the camaraderie they bring to the workplace.
DeRitis, a 25-year veteran at Strong Memorial Hospital, has earned recognition for his clinical excellence, including a nomination for the prestigious Daisy Award in 2024. He and his wife, also a nurse, have built a life centered on family and healing.
Voglewede, now enjoying life as a healthy young adult, has traveled to Alaska and Europe, moved into his own apartment, and is planning to attend a destination wedding in the Virgin Islands. “I’ve come full circle,” he says, grateful for a second chance.
Through their work, both men exemplify how personal struggles can inspire a profound commitment to helping others. At Wilmot, they continue to turn their survivorship into a lifeline for patients, one connection at a time.
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