Danielle Castillo knew something was amiss, but she tried to put it out of her mind. The pain in her chest was “terrible.” But, she recalls, “In my mind, I said, ‘It’s nothing; it will go away.”

That’s because Danielle had already been through cancer treatment once before, in 2015, and she didn’t want to face it again. That time, it had been colon cancer.

The chest pain, it turned out, was a giant mass: an aggressive form of B-cell lymphoma. When she was informed of the diagnosis, Danielle says, her first thought was, “I’m going to die.” But the initial interaction at Mount Sinai with Jacqueline Barrientos, MD, Chief of Hematologic Malignancies, helped strengthen Danielle’s resolve. “Dr. Barrientos is my savior,” she says. “She told me we were going to start treatment right away because if we didn’t, in two or three more days I wouldn’t be around. That’s how aggressive the tumor was.”

The treatment was difficult, involving nonstop chemotherapy for days at a time. Danielle recalls looking in the mirror after her third intensive chemo treatment. It was taxing her mental health; she felt like she couldn’t continue. “Dr. Barrientos visited me every day. She was very attentive and talked to many specialists. They visited me every day, too. She gave me her cellphone number so I could call her whenever I needed to. One day, she heard I was crying in my room, and she stopped her appointments to come see me. The difference is the doctor, believe me. She saved my life.”

Danielle’s family was also a major support system. Her two children moved to Boca Raton from out of state to care for her. Mount Sinai’s Comprehensive Cancer Center became so woven into the fabric of her daily life that Danielle had a favorite room on the treatment floor. “It had a beautiful view of the water,” she says. “And they always tried to accommodate me.” She also credits the nurses at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, who would bring her coffee and chat with her, for lifting her spirits.

Today, Danielle is filled with gratitude for the life she was able to resume after undergoing treatment at Mount Sinai. A teaching assistant and after-care manager, she is happy to be back at school doing what she loves. “I feel perfect,” she says. “I still pray every day that the cancer won’t come back. I am still afraid. But I am good, thanks to the incredible care I received at Mount Sinai.”

To anyone else out there starting out on a journey like hers, she has words of wisdom to offer based on her experience: “Be patient. You must fight, but it’s worth it.”

At Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Jacqueline Barrientos, Chief of Hematologic Malignancies, transforms her personal experiences into passionate care. Motivated by her motherʼs struggle with lymphoma and harsh treatments, Dr. Barrientos is committed to developing gentler, yet effective therapies. “Watching my mom suffer ignited my resolve to find kinder treatments,” she states.

Dr. Barrientos’ approach is rooted in compassion, ensuring each patient feels understood and cared for. “We aim to make every patient knowledgeable and comfortable with their treatment plan, supported by a team of diverse specialists,” she explains. Her work with Danielle, who faced a highly aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma known as Burkitt’s lymphoma, highlights this commitment. Burkitt’s lymphoma is the most rapidly proliferating human cancer. “Danielle’s situation was critical, necessitating immediate, intensive treatment. Helping her achieve remission and seeing her thrive again is incredibly rewarding,” Dr. Barrientos shares.

With the upcoming Irma and Norman Braman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Barrientos is excited about the enhanced opportunities for research and holistic services. “The new center will allow us to further our mission of compassionate care, equipped with the latest in cancer treatment technology,” she notes, looking forward to continuing her vital work in a state-of-the-art facility.