On a fateful day this past spring, Robert Gilson found his new purpose in the most unlikely of places. As he sat in the waiting room of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport, a slightly anxious looking young woman there for a follow-up appointment was sitting across from him. “I love your sweater,” she said with a smile, despite the nervousness she must have been feeling. It made Robert smile too, which was a gift as he awaited his next treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. The young lady was soon called in for her appointment, but the effects of her simple act of kindness lingered in Robert.
It was just last October when Robert was diagnosed, thanks to the proactive efforts of his family physician, LeeAnna Lyne, DO, of UPMC Family Medicine Loyalsock. She had noticed a large elevation in his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in routine tests and got him an appointment with urologist David Kurz, MD, the very next day. The PSA screening allows for early detection of prostate cancer, and Robert’s numbers had come back at 35 ng/ml, well above the desired normal level of 4 ng/ml.
Thankfully, Robert’s cancer was caught early. “Dr. Lyne has been my doctor for about 10 years now, and she is just amazing. She cares about my wife and I like we are family and has really gotten to know us as patients and as people,” says Robert. “She follows up on things that she notices and gets right on it. She also gave me a couple of calls to keep me encouraged.”
Dr. Kurz connected Robert with oncologist Abdalla Sholi, MD, regional medical director for medical oncology at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. “These doctors are the best of the best, and they really took the time to look at my situation and explain what my next steps would be,” says Robert.
By the start of December, Dr. Sholi had laid out a treatment plan for him, and his expertise, dedication, and kindness have benefited Robert to this day. Under the reassuring care of the Hillman team, his treatment plan is working: as of this August, Robert’s PSA level has gone from 49ng/ml at the start of his treatment to zero. These days, he comes into the center monthly for a blood test, a consultation, and a shot, and he continues to take a daily medication as prescribed for his cancer treatment.
An Impactful Gift and a New Purpose
Robert made his first gift through the Susquehanna Health Foundation this summer to show his immense gratitude for Dr. Sholi and the many physicians, nurses, and medical care providers at Hillman. He feels very fortunate to have had such wonderful care through his cancer treatment journey, and wanted others to have the same access, regardless of their situation in life. He gets emotional when he talks about how, at the lowest point in his life, the outpouring of love and support from people near and far meant the world to him. It gave him the hope and strength to get through his cancer treatment and not give up.
“It blew me away. There had been a complacency in my life up until then, but the wave of love I felt from so many people, it changed me,” says Robert. “I now see God’s purpose in us. We are here to help one another.” That was to be Robert’s newly found inspiration moving forward
Saying Thank You, Giving Hope
“How do I say thank you for all Hillman has done for me?” That was the question Robert posed to his wife Laura one day. As a cardiovascular disease patient herself, Laura, knew firsthand about the high-quality health care and support that UPMC in North Central Pa. provides. She is grateful for the experience and personal touch that interventional cardiologist Leslie Webb, MD, at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute puts into her care. The couple met in 1981, when Laura was a teacher’s aide and Robert was a police officer. When Robert retired from his police duties after 25 years of service, he worked as a substitute teacher for the Williamsport Area School District for 13 years. With such deep roots in the community, it felt right for them to donate to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in appreciation for all that they do, so that the team could continue to provide assistance and hope for other families touched by cancer.
The Gilsons feel that their donation is a way of saying thank you to the cancer center team that took such good care of Robert, and to the UPMC community overall that continues to provide the highest level of care for all patients. Working together with the Foundation, they are able to help others receive the kind of quality cancer treatment and care that Robert so appreciates. Things like the blanket warmers in the infusion suite, massage chairs, cooling caps (to help reduce hair loss during chemotherapy), treats and meals offered by Hillman staff and volunteers, support groups for cancer patients and survivors, and even logistical types of support for those who need it.
“Everyone at Hillman is so nice, it’s sort of like going to church in a hospital setting,” says Robert. It really helps put patients at ease during difficult times. Even the building’s design and architecture create a soothing, comforting environment that is decidedly less institutional than a traditional hospital. Robert sees this thoughtfully designed space as offering patients and their families just a little more peace. This is impressive considering the state-of-the-art treatments and advanced imaging technology the facility is known for having. “They really think of everything patients need,” he reflects.
“It’s a special place for people who really need one while they battle cancer,” Robert says. To illustrate that point, he reflects back to that day with the young woman who loved his sweater. He recalls that when she came out of her appointment, she was elated with the good news she had just received from her doctors. She buzzed around the waiting room, hugging everyone there. “We all shared her joy and hope. It was magical. I like to think our donation will help give every cancer patient at least a little bit of that feeling, too.”