Brain Cancer Survivor, 22, Finds Purpose in End-of-Life Care

At just one year old, Evan Folsom had part of his skull removed to fight a fast-growing brain tumor. Today, at 22, he's using that experience to comfort people at the end of their lives.

Folsom works at Sloan Comfort Care Home in Buffalo, the only free end-of-life facility of its kind in Erie County. The home provides round-the-clock care to people in their final months, offering two beds to guests and their families at no cost.

His path to this work wasn't straightforward. Folsom survived surgery and nine weeks of proton beam therapy in Boston, but recovery took years. He didn't speak until age four and struggled academically through elementary school.

"I was really demoralized by that," Folsom recalled. But with classroom support, he pushed through and graduated from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Lancaster in 2022.

At Canisius University, where he studied biochemistry and philosophy, Folsom faced new health concerns without clear answers. That uncertainty became a teacher in itself.

"It's trying to reconcile this idea of going forward despite the uncertainty and trying to keep your head up high and look forward and not back," he said.

Sunny's Take

Folsom started volunteering at Sloan Comfort Care Home through a Mercy Doula training class, then joined the staff. He works overnight shifts, providing comfort to dying patients and their loved ones just hours before taking the Medical College Admission Test.

Alex Lauer, the home's executive director, said watching Folsom's commitment has moved the entire team. The facility trains future healthcare providers in compassion, and Folsom embodies exactly what they hope to inspire.

"Evan's story has really moved all of us," Lauer said. "We're excited about the path he's taking in healthcare."

Folsom reflected on his work in the facility's chapel, recognizing the timing as perfect. "The Home did come at the right time for me," he said.

Next up: a one-year bioethics program at Harvard Medical School. His childhood battle with cancer sparked his interest in medicine, but his time at Sloan Comfort Care Home taught him something textbooks never could: how to push forward when answers don't come easy, and how to offer peace when cure isn't possible.