When you work for an organization that’s trying to cure cancer and diabetes, the mission can feel very BIG.
Sometimes progress can feel too incremental. But then “boom,” something amazing happens that changes people's lives forever. It’s these moments that remind me that persistence is SO powerful. Day by day. Step by step. We are winning.
City of Hope’s bone marrow transplant (BMT) program is the perfect example of what I mean. In April, City of Hope performed its 20,000th bone marrow transplant, a remarkable milestone for revolutionary procedure that has saved thousands of lives.
But not that long ago, BMTs were considered too risky and unproven. It was City of Hope’s persistence that moved this lifesaving procedure from “experimental” treatment to a national standard. It required persistence from our doctors and scientists with painstaking research and clinical trials ... persistence from patients who agreed to a grueling procedure knowing they might not survive ... and persistence from our supporters who invested in us because they believed City of Hope could change the game.
Rodrigo Nunez, a registered nurse who has worked at City of Hope for 37 years, was among the first to undergo the then-experimental procedure at City of Hope. Now, 47 years later, he is one of the longest-surviving transplant patients who has turned his experience into a lifelong journey helping others. Nunez is proof that persistence pays off — sometimes with a far greater impact than we can even imagine.
Today, we’re on the brink of many other exciting innovations thanks to some very determined people. One incredible supporter has made it her mission to improve the prognosis for patients with multiple myeloma. Because of her persistence, we’ve made real progress on a clinical test that can tell doctors which treatment plan will have the greatest chance of success based on the individual’s genetic code.
We’re also making huge strides in surgical technology. A collaborative group of City of Hope surgeons and researchers across the globe are figuring out how to use artificial intelligence to develop highly precise robotic surgery. These advances can help surgeons see cancer more clearly and minimize complications. The result: better outcomes and significant improvements in quality of life for patients.
All our progress is made possible because we have a community of employees and supporters who are determined to remove every obstacle in support of our ambitious vision.
So, when bad news happens or when things feel stalled, I hope you’ll think of our community. I hope what we can do, through you, is a powerful motivator to stay the course.
Benjamin Franklin said it best: “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
Our City of Hope community proves that’s true.
With gratitude,
Kristin J. Bertell
Chief Philanthropy Officer