Paul Walker Schaffel was a 21-year-old senior at Wesleyan University when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and subsequently non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Paul began undergoing chemotherapy in December 2011 and instead of taking a medical leave from Wesleyan, he insisted upon completing the necessary coursework to graduate with his peers. Paul completed his senior thesis and received accolades for the brilliant work he did. He graduated with honors in the Spring of 2012 and was accepted into Harvard Law School. Paul’s dreams were cut short on September 16, 2012 and he never made it to Harvard.

The Paul Foundation was formed in September 2012, and immediately began raising money to fund research and awareness programs for adolescent and young adult lymphoma patients, an underserved population. The mission of The Paul Foundation is, among other things, to fund non-Hodgkin lymphoma research and provide those affected by the disease, their families and healthcare professionals with the tools to identify, treat and cure non-Hodgkin lymphoma.