Come Celebrate Life at the George Balian Fundraiser for Cancer Research

When one is referred to as a lifelong resident, it simply means they’re longstanding or permanent. Many folks choose to raise their own family in the town of their birth, either because it’s what they know and falls within their comfort zone, or because they want to make a difference. George Balian happens to be the latter.  

A 1982 graduate of Burlington High, Balian chose to grow his roots here, raising his two sons, Chris 27, and George 15. Actively involved and committed to the town, Balian has devoted 25 years to coaching BHS football, and six years to coaching town baseball.

"Coach Balian is always a positive guy who never says a bad word about anyone. As a coach, he's respectful and teaches us good sportsmanship; I learned from that, not only as a baseball player, but for in other parts of my life," said Randy Nadir, BHS student and baseball player.

In the summer of 2012, Balian found himself dealing with nagging sinus issues.

"I thought it was a sinus infection because I didn't have any other symptoms. When I finally went to the doctor, he gave me a steroid spray and sent me to an ear, nose and throat doctor," he said.

Further examination showed a blockage in Balian's nasal passage. The doctor recommended removing it, and for safe measure, did a biopsy. The results of the biopsy revealed that six letter word that shakes the foundation of one's life: cancer. Balian received a diagnosis of mantel cell lymphoma, one of the rarest forms of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. A body scan performed in September 2012 showed further spots where the cancer had spread.

"They found it my nose, lower back, and left groin area," said Balian adding, "One day I'm on top of the world, the next day my life is turned upside down."

Trying to absorb the news, the 47-year-old was thrown into a state of disbelief.

"I Googled it, which was a mistake. I then started thinking crazy thoughts, like being afraid I wasn't going to see my son graduate from college," he said.

Balian's oncologist helped ease his mind.

"He told me not to go on the computer for answers, but to come to him with any questions. I was informed that what I had was treatable, and was given a game plan that included a stem cell transplant. This made me feel better about everything," said Balian.

In the fall of 2012, Balian had chemotherapy treatment, and in January underwent a stem cell transplant. The amazing part of Balian's journey is that he never once felt ill, and was able to work and exercise throughout his treatment.

"I didn't have any side effects, even through all the high doses of chemo, which I believe is a result of my lifestyle. I think the fact that I have always taken good care of myself helped my organs take it," he said.

Balian's boys were naturally upset at the news of their father's cancer.

"When I first heard about it, I was bummed out, but then I immediately thought of the days when my father would coach me. He would give speeches on perseverance and always ask, What are you going to do, lay down and give up, or get up and fight through it? I thought if that's what he believes, then we can beat this," said Chris.

Fifteen-year-old George added, "I was mostly shocked and my heart sank
when they told me the news. My father took the news positively and believed he
was going to fight it off. He had no doubt in his mind that anything was going
to go wrong and once he told me that, I was relieved."

Turning the unknown and scary into positive experiences, Balian assured his youngest son, George, that everything was going to be okay. When he lost his hair during treatment, he told George that it was a good thing, that it meant the medication was working. He took George with him to the barber shop so he could see that shaving his head was no big deal.  

"As a coach, I told my students to keep fighting and never give up, and that was the same attitude that I had," he said.

On January 25th, 2013, Balian entered Mass General Hospital for his stem cell transplant. He received five days of intensive chemotherapy before his stem cells were put back into his body through intravenous. Once again, Balian was never sick, only weak from the treatment.

"I think of the stem cell transplant like an oil change. First they kill everything with chemotherapy and then they put your stem cells back. Your body reproduces all new stem cells that overtake everything else, and you are like new," explained Balian,who was released from Mass General on February 12th.

To date, Balian is cancer free and remains optimistic. If all goes well, his checkups to the oncologist will continue to decrease to yearly visits. The one thing in his life that Balian wasn't prepared for was the outpouring of support from his work, the town of Burlington, and his family and friends.

"My friends wanted to do something for me, but I didn't want them to do anything. I was just trying to get through this period of my life, but they were insistent. We finally we came up with the idea that after I finished treatment, that we'd have a celebration party," said Balian.

Balian decided to give back to the cancer foundation and, with a little help from his friends, turned his celebration party into the George Balian Fundraiser for Cancer Research, a celebration of life.

"My mother had lung cancer and Mass General took very good care of her. I think it's the best hospital in the world. If this fundraiser can help out someone down the road, so be it," he said.

“Coach Balian was the nicest of the coaches when I was in high school. He didn’t say much compared to the other coaches, but when he did say something, everyone listened,” said former BHS football player Nico Blase.

Said Balian, "I cannot believe the tremendous outpouring of love and support that I've received from former players, the entire town, and my work. It's been overwhelming and it's hard to imagine how many people actually care. You never realize how much support is out there until something happens, and that's what keeps me going and puts things in perspective."

Join George on June 21, 2013 from 7pm-11:30 PM for a celebration of life to fundraise for cancer. Event will be held at The Sons Of Italy, 168 Lexington Street Woburn MA. There will be music, dancing, raffles, a silent auction, and of course, lots to celebrate! Tickets are $20.00 at the door - age 21 and over.

If you are unable to attend the fundraiser, but would like to make a donation, they can be made to: The George Balian Fundraiser for Cancer Research. Checks can be sent to the Cambridge Savings Bank, 214 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA 01803.  

For more information or to make donations, please visit and like the George Balian Fundraiser For Cancer Research Facebook page at: http://on.fb.me/YT6DVp