After being treated for melanoma at Massachusetts General Hospital, John Hunt forged a close patient-physician relationship with Ryan Sullivan, MD, director of the Center for Melanoma and the Peter and Ann Lambertus Endowed Chair in Cancer, Director, Center for Melanoma. Through this relationship, John learned how arduous it can be for physician-scientists to secure funding for their investigations, and he decided to make his first foray into sustaining academic medical research. He and his wife, Susan, are designating a large sum from their estate to support Dr. Sullivan’s efforts to develop better melanoma treatments — and they are confident that their gift is contributing to the “best in the world.”
“When I was diagnosed with melanoma three years ago, I was thrown into the unfamiliar world of cancer treatment and had to quickly learn how to navigate complex medical decisions. One of those complex decisions was determining which institutions and medical professionals to trust with my care. I ended up choosing Dr. Sullivan and his team at Mass General and could not be happier with that choice.
My treatment began with surgery in Florida, where my wife, Susan, and I spend the winter. When we returned to Maine for the summer, I started looking for a doctor in New England. Dr. Sullivan and his team came highly recommended.
Having lived in Concord, Massachusetts, for 35 years, I had been to Mass General a few times for minor things, like receiving the proper immunizations before traveling abroad, but I wasn’t familiar with the true scope of Mass General’s care until I met with Dr. Sullivan. He offered a different perspective than my oncologist in Florida, sharing that, based on his research and learnings, he would recommend an alternative, less burdensome treatment approach.
Now, three years later, I am ‘out of the danger zone’ — free of complications — and my summer appointments with Dr. Sullivan have become more like social visits. Since entrusting my care to Dr. Sullivan and his team, we have learned just how incredible this hospital is. The thing that has struck me the most about him is his dedication to his research, and his passion that shines through when he speaks about this work.
Dr. Sullivan gives you a true sense that he cares about his patients. He doesn’t say anything unless he’s certain and is always up front and honest. I would go to him first for skin cancer treatment over anyone in the world. He’s a person who truly wants to do good, and do it correctly. I have complete confidence in his abilities, both as a researcher and clinician.
This is why my wife and I decided to allocate much of our estate to support him — our first gift of this capacity to medical research. We had planned for another institution to receive the funds, but after speaking about our experiences and where we could have the greatest impact as donors, we kept coming back to Dr. Sullivan. He has impressed us through his calm and confident demeanor, bedside manner, expert knowledge and ambition. So, I reworked my will.
Over the years, I’ve learned that like many physician-scientists, he spends a lot of time writing grant applications — time he should be spending on research and patient care. With this gift, we hope to alleviate the added burden of seeking funding opportunities.
I spent too much time in the sun in my younger years, not fully aware of the risk it would pose later in life — Dr. Sullivan’s and his team’s work, bolstered by our gift, will help to improve outcomes for others fighting melanoma.”
To support melanoma research at Mass General, click here.
You, too, can make a lasting legacy by including Mass General in your estate plans. A gift like this costs nothing today but furthers the future of groundbreaking research and compassionate patient care. Explore your options with the Office of Gift Planning – 617-643-2220 or mghdevpg@mgh.harvard.edu
