Christopher Huang

Joe Andruzzi with cancer survivor Jackie Mullen in 2011. The former Patriot and his wife have been helping families of cancer patients pay their day-to-day bills since 2008.

Steve Haines for The Boston Globe

Andruzzi with 6 year-old Ethan Bairos in 2011. Andruzzi started visiting cancer patients as a Patriots player and stuck around after the cameras stopped rolling.

Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe

In 2007, Andruzzi was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Burkitt’s lymphoma.

STEVE LIPOFSKY /lipofsky.com

After a year of intensive treatment, Andruzzi’s cancer was gone. He kept visiting patients and started his foundation.

CHRISTOPHER HUANG/FILE

Abdruzzi (right) at Children’s Hospital with (from left) Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Drs. Laura McCullough and Elizabeth Mullen, and cancer patient Katie Johnson in 2010.