Rivier University President Sister Paula Marie Buley, IHM, (left), recently presented the Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award to 1983 graduate Lisette Paquette McCarthy. Courtesy photo/Rivier University

NASHIA – Rivier University’s Alumni Association recently presented the Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award to 1983 graduate Lisette Paquette McCarthy, a Nashua resident who has become a beacon of hope for cancer patients and their families through her tireless fundraising efforts to find a cure.

In memory of her daughter, Meghan, who was diagnosed at age 14 with glioblastoma multiforme, and passed away in 2010 at age 17, McCarthy established the Meghan McCarthy Research Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Her fundraising efforts have raised more than $1 million to advance cancer research and directly support groundbreaking studies that provide tangible benefits to patients and their families.

As a pulmonary function testing scheduler at Lowell General Hospital, she balances her career with a steadfast commitment to her family and community.

Established by the Alumni Association in 1974 to honor Rivier’s Foundress, the Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award is the university’s highest alumni honor. Transforming personal tragedy into a mission of service and demonstrating faith, resilience and unwavering dedication to helping others, McCarthy embodies the core values of her alma mater and carries forward the enduring legacy of Sister Madeleine.