Michael Jeffrey "Mikey" Friedman

FRIEDMAN Michael (Mikey) Jeffrey Friedman, age 19, aspiring scientist and oncologist. Harvard University, Class of 2011; whose goal it was to find a cure for cancer, prematurely succumbed to one of its rarest forms after a 4-1/2 year battle. Family and friends will remember Mikey's warm personality, acute sense of humor, and keen intellect. Mikey was known for his ability to bring spontaneous laughter to a room with his goofy antics and well-timed jokes. He maintained that sense of humor even in the face of his disease. Mikey was also fiercely intelligent and insatiably curious. He never ceased to amaze his teachers and fellow students with the ease at which he conquered any subject. He taught himself calculus in 8th grade and by the time he graduated high school, was well-versed in string theory and quantum physics. Although just 19, Mikey accomplished more than most his peers could even dream of. He excelled in high school notwithstanding missing significant time while undergoing treatment. His paper "In the Depths of Human Circumstance" was published in the Journal of Palliative and Supportive Care. He was accepted to Harvard University where he impressed his peers and his professors with his intellect. As a freshman, he published a paper on small molecule cancer therapy in the Harvard Science Review. He also garnered a prestigious research position in a laboratory at Harvard Medical School where he studied cancer vaccines. Perhaps Mikey's proudest accomplishment, however, was his charitable foundation, the Mikey's Way Foundation, which he started in November 2005. The foundation seeks to alleviate the mental strain of cancer treatment by distributing electronic games and toys to children. Mikey and the foundation were featured on the NBC Nightly News in a segment named "Making a Difference" in December 2005. To date the Foundation has raised over a quarter million dollars and distributed toys at hospitals all over the country. For his efforts with Mikey's Way, Governor Rell declared April 29th, 2006 to be Mikey Friedman Day in the State of Connecticut and was named a "Hometown Hero" by the Connecticut State Legislature. He also received the Hero of the Year Award from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County, NJ in 2006. His family: brothers, Brian and his fiance, Michelle, Peter, Christopher; sister Caitlyn, father Les and stepmother, Cathy; mother, Barbara and stepfather Rick; grandparents, Mimi and Poppy; Aunt Felice who adored him as her own son, Uncle Larry and Aunt Judy, Uncle Alan and Aunt Annette, Uncle Jeff and Uncle Mike, cousins Billy, Jill, Sylvie, Debbie, Dr. Kevin, Casey, Molly, Dr. Scott, Dr. Jen, Dr. Matt, Vanessa, Rachel, and Trevor; and stepbrothers Ryan, Zach, and Cory. Friends from Samuel Staples Elementary, Joel Barlow High School, and Harvard University, too numerous to count, but top of the list was his best friend Leah who held his hand to the last. God bless you Mikey. You were truly a man without equal. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to THE MIKEY'S WAY FOUNDATION, P.O. Box 76, Easton, CT 06612, or The Make a Wish Foundation, 126 Monroe Turnpike, Trumbull, CT 06611. Funeral services will be held at Congregation B'nai Israel 2710 Park Ave. Bridgeport, TODAY October 7th at 11 a.m., with interment following at B'nai Israel Cemetery on Moose Hill Rd. in Monroe. The Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements.