Hillary St Pierre-Ford, 29 a loving wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend lost her courageous 6 year battle against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on February 6, 2012 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City; she was surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her husband Jonathan, their 8 year old son Xander, parents Victor and Nancy St Pierre, and her brother Patrick and wife Grace, all of Charlestown, NH. Hillary is also survived by her identical twin sister Heather Wellington, her husband Allen, and nephews Pierce and Preston of Hopkinton, MA, as well as her Grandparents Rolande’ St Pierre of Charlestown and Richard and Jean Wilder of Keene NH, along with many Aunts, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews and Friends.
Hillary was born on August 16, 1982 in Claremont NH with twin sister Heather and was married to Jonathan Ford on Sept 18, 2004.
Hillary was a 2001 graduate of Fall Mountain Regional High School where she played 4 years of soccer, traveled to Italy with a New England Soccer team and was awarded All State status. In 2004 she graduated from the College of New Rochelle (CNR) in New Rochelle, NY with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing.
While attending CNR she wrote and was the Editor for the school newspaper, played basketball, tutored, worked as a nurse’s aid, and wrote and received a grant for the Harlem River cleanup project as well as writing articles for “Le Femme” magazine. Hillary graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau (National Nursing Honor Society) and Kappa Gramma Pi (National Catholic Service Honor Society).
Upon graduation Hillary worked at Valley Regional Hospital as a critical care and emergency department registered nurse. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2006 at the age of 23. Although accepted to the Nurse Practitioner Program at the University Amherst, Hillary deferred due to her illness.
During her battle, Hillary combined her loves of both nursing and writing by developing the blog, www.baldiesblog.blogspot.com, referred to as “Baldie’s Blog.” Baldie’s Blog provided a medium through which Hillary could share her story with the world and, as a result, help other cancer patients and their families. Baldie’s Blog was listed by The American Cancer Society among The Top Ten for patient written cancer resources. In addition, Hillary wrote and published a children’s book “Z and the Cancer Meanie” which can be purchased via her blog. She also wrote articles for the Huffington Post and a local paper, The News Review.
Hillary was awarded Monadnock Woman of the Month in 2010 for her work on developing Extreme Makeover “Hillary’s House”, for adult patients and care givers to stay while they undergo treatment at Dartmouth Medical Center. She was also a talented jewelry maker and founded Cancervivor Art so that cancer survivors could sell their jewelry to help pay for treatment and related expenses.
As a Professional Patient she has advocated with The American Cancer Society, Citizens Health Alliance, and Working Families Win. She has contributed politically as a stakeholder for NH Department of Health's Health Information Exchange working towards creating an electronic medical record system. She spoke in front of the New Hampshire State Senate Committee on health care reform, working with New Hampshire’s Health Information Exchange of Health and Human Services to move forward her idea of “Patients as Partners,” an electronic health record system that the patient controls while allowing health care providers access, all in order to facilitate their own health care which Hillary had patent and gifted to the state of New Hampshire. Hillary wrote a $500,000 grant for the CEDA GrisMill Project. She was a representative of the NH Cancer Society on last year’s visit from President Obama to Portsmouth and the Republican Presidential Debate at Dartmouth College. Seven days before her death Hillary, Jon and Xander were interviewed by “Story Corps,” of the National Library of Congress. They will have their story in the library’s archives.
She will be remembered by her love of life and strong spirit. We would like to thank the Doctors, Nurses, Nursing Assistants and hospital staff at Valley Regional Hospital, Dartmouth, Dana Farber and Columbia Presbyterian Hospitals for their care of Hillary. We would also like to thank all the Friends, Family and “The Unknown” for the prayers and support sent to Hillary. Without all this support her life would have been much shorter.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, February 10th from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8PM at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street, Claremont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, February 11, 2012, at 1:00 in the afternoon in St. Joseph’s Church on Elm Street in Claremont with Rev. Fr. Stanley J. Piwowar, officiating. Burial will follow in Hope Hill Cemetery in North Charlestown, NH. A reception will be held at the Claremont Senior Center off Maple Ave in Claremont, NH.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made for: Alexander V. Ford’s College Education Fund at the Connecticut River Bank PO Box 500 Charlestown, NH 03603 C/O Jonathan R. Ford ITF Alexander V. Ford or to the North Charlestown Community School (NCCS Play Ground Fund) 509 River Road, Charlestown, NH 03603