Leukemia for Chickens
One Wimp’s Tale About Living Through Cancer
A Memoir
Roger Madoff was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002. After enduring two years of chemotherapy, radiation, and two stem cell transplants, he felt strong enough to write about his experience.
Roger was a reporter for Bloomberg News and lived in Manhattan with his wife, Jen, and dog, Milo. He died on April 15, 2006, at the age of 32, from the debilitating side effects of his second transplant.
This book is filled with the strength, humor, love and hope that defined his life.
Roger Madoff’s is a journey that inspires. His memoirs are recorded with an honesty and optimism that remind us of the power of the human spirit. Roger not only describes his illness and treatments in great detail, but also invites the reader to become a friend and a member of his extended family. His interactions with the doctors and nurses on staff show the human side of disease and illness.
Roger’s story is a reminder, both to those in the medical community and those facing illness, that we must never underestimate the importance of a patient’s dignity and of maintaining hope.
Herbert Pardes, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Roger Madoff is no chicken. In his book, Leukemia for Chickens, he describes his journey from the initial diagnosis, through victories and setbacks, with humor, insight, and medical precision. As someone who lived through these experiences with him, I found his descriptions so vivid and accurate that I know they will make you feel as if you too are there, living them with him. This is not a book about dying. As clichéd as it might sound, it is a book about living. It is filled with stories and experiences from Roger’s life, both before his illness and during it. Many of them are so funny you will laugh out loud, and many will bring you to tears. I began my relationship with Roger as his physician, but during his illness we became very close friends. I gained a profound respect and deep love for him, his wife, and his family. I am sure I am a better person and a better doctor for knowing him, and witnessing how, with wit, intelligence, resolve, and acceptance, he dealt with this unimaginable adversity.
Adam Stracher, MD
Director, Primary Care Division
Weill Cornell Physician Organization
Attending Physician
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
In Remembrance of Roger
Many groups and individuals have made meaningful tributes to Roger’s memory. These are just a few examples of memorials established on his behalf, all of which would make him proud.
The Madoff family, Duke University’s Chronicle and Bloomberg News have collaborated in establishing The Roger Madoff Scholarship. Each summer, in Roger’s honor, an outstanding student journalist at The Chronicle will be awarded an internship at Bloomberg News in New York City. To support this endeavor, please contact Jonathan Angier, general manager of The Chronicle, 103 West Union Building, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708.
The High Peaks area of the Adirondacks was a treasured refuge for Roger. The Madoff family and the Adirondack Mountain Club have dedicated “Roger’s Outlook,” a viewing platform on Heart Lake, in his memory. Heart Lake is located in the Adirondak Loj recreation area, 5 miles south of Lake Placid. For information about visiting or to make a donation towards the preservation of the Adirondack Park, contact the Adirondack Mountain Club at www.adk.org.
