Dear Friends,
June is National Cancer Survivor’s Month. And what better month for City of Hope® to say, “thank you!”
As City of Hope supporters, you are the reason we get to celebrate so many cancer survivors in the first place. It is your support that drives the lifesaving innovations that keep families whole.
Meeting survivors is a rewarding part of my job. I hear incredible stories of resilience. I see the human impact of our work firsthand. And I witness incredible acts of generosity as a result.
Case in point: Meet Ted Schwartz.
Ted spent 16 years battling lymphoma. Despite treatment, his cancer kept coming back — and it was getting worse. In March 2020, he agreed to receive a novel chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapy at City of Hope. It was likely his last shot at survival.
In the hospital, Ted made a promise to do something special for City of Hope if he made it through.
Now four years later, Ted is thriving, in complete remission. The innovative treatment was the turning point in his long cancer journey. And he kept his promise — donating $15 million on behalf of his family to advance CAR T cell therapy research that saved his life.
His support means other people will be spared the difficult journey he endured. Patients will get better treatments, faster. And because of City of Hope’s national presence, the breakthroughs we make will be accessible to more people across the country.
I recently had dinner with Ted and his family. His story always strikes me because of the wonderful way in which hope begets hope.
Donor support is a big reason City of Hope leads one of the most comprehensive CAR T cell therapy research programs in the world. As a cancer patient, Ted benefited from that treatment innovation. As a cancer survivor, he is now driving it forward.
Philanthropy is the catalyst for this virtuous cycle of innovation, survivorship, generosity and hope. And I love how Ted’s story reflects this idea in such a powerful way. It’s not only big gifts that have an impact. Every donation drives us closer to cures.
As Ted says, giving back is about helping “more and more people get back their life and immune system and really live.”
I am incredibly grateful to Ted for his partnership. I am also grateful to all of you for making Ted’s story possible. Thank you for joining in our mission to make more survivors.
Warmly,
Kristin J. Bertell
Chief Philanthropy Officer