“I've always believed that healthcare is a right, not a privilege.” Stefan Friedman
Inspired by loss, Stefan Friedman joined the fight to ensure everyone has access to care and hope
Inspired by loss, Stefan Friedman joined the fight to ensure everyone has access to care and hopeIn 2021, Bradley Friedman, 40, had a thriving career as a corporate attorney in New York City, a loving wife, two beautiful children and access to top-tier healthcare. However, his life changed in an instant.
When he began to feel sick in late December of 2021, he assumed it was nothing more than the new Omicron COVID variant sweeping across the city. He went to the doctor, who performed a few blood tests. The following day, he received the news that changed his life.
He didn’t have COVID.
He had terminal leukemia.
Bradley Friedman fought for nearly two years before succumbing to his illness. He passed away on October 30, 2023.
A brother’s promise to give hope
Stefan Friedman, Bradley’s older brother, lives in Los Angeles with his daughter, Lucy, and son, Leo. As a Partner at Actum, a global consulting firm, he has spent his career solving complex challenges. Nothing, however, could prepare him for the heartbreak of losing his brother.
Friedman saw firsthand how unbelievably challenging it was for his brother to find the right doctor, make appointments and endure long wait times despite all the resources and support available to him.
“I thought, what hope does anybody from a lower socioeconomic background have to get the treatment and care they deserve?” Friedman said. “I’ve always believed that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. It became very clear to me that my next role in volunteerism would be in healthcare.”
In 2022, Friedman had another experience that deepened his determination to give hope to those in need. His close friend, boxing legend and philanthropist Oscar De La Hoya, donated $1 million to the Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center at Adventist Health White Memorial in October 2022.
In an effort to recognize De La Hoya’s generosity, the Cancer Center collaborated with Chaveltya’s Pink Hood, an organization that provides makeovers for breast cancer patients and survivors, to host an event. Friedman attended.
“There was a lot of joy for that hour or two where they could just forget they had cancer,” Friedman said. “Watching my brother, he just couldn’t get away from leukemia. But the moment when these women who have been dealt a terrible hand had some joy, and it happened at a place that felt like home, that’s when I knew I wanted to join.”
Friedman joined the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation board of directors in October 2024, fulfilling his personal promise to help others receive the care they deserve and find hope in their toughest moments.
“Not everybody gets the bad breaks that my brother did,” Friedman said. “But there are other people who, when the disease is identified early, have a better outcome. For me, my focus became about helping somebody else. My role on the board is to give others time and support.”
By helping others find hope, Friedman honors his brother’s memory.
Just like Stefan Friedman, you can bring hope to your community. Your gift to Adventist Health White Memorial helps families in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Montebello and beyond receive the care and support they need. By giving today, you’re bringing hope to those who need it most.