When Terry received his second lymphoma diagnosis in his home state of Florida, his oncologist told him he needed more advanced care than standard treatments could provide. Among the hospitals recommended to him was Hoag, a choice that felt almost fated with Terry’s eldest daughter living in Dana Point. Medical transport brought him across the country with his identical twin brother by his side.
By the time Terry reached Hoag, he was unable to walk. “The paralysis in my legs actually scared me more than the cancer itself,” he recalled. Soon after, he met Benjamin Goldenson, MD, PhD, who laid out an innovative treatment plan for Terry using CAR T-cell therapy, a novel protocol that activates the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells.
The road wasn’t without setbacks. Terry had a significant but not uncommon reaction to the engineered cells when they were introduced into his body. But during his hospital stay, his care team at Hoag never wavered.
When he was well enough to return to the hotel where he and his brother were staying, Terry measured his progress in footsteps. From five steps to six and seven, he slowly built his way back up until he could walk to the top of the hill overlooking the Dana Point Harbor.
About two months into treatment, Terry’s cancer was gone. “I can’t say enough about Hoag’s facilities and people. They are really something. They made me feel like I mattered and that I was going to live,” he said. “I consider them all family now. I feel so fortunate.”
After his recovery, Terry felt compelled to give back. He made a gift to Hoag to help advance the program that saved his life. Now, Terry comes in two to three times a month for monitoring and expects to continue for another year before transitioning to quarterly checkups. He is in remission, grateful, and—step by step—feeling like himself again.
Read more about how philanthropy helped bring advanced cell therapy to Hoag.
