CHRISTINA TASCON

Hearing the word “cancer” is more devastating than almost any other term in our language although modern medicine has now taken the automatically presumed death sentence out of the diagnosis.

With new discoveries in technology, surgical procedures and highly effective medicines the cure or treatment for most cancers make the prognosis more hopeful than ever.

What can be more overwhelming than hearing the doctor give the diagnosis is finding the right treatment facility for the particular cancer each patient will be facing.

Many residents not only have to negotiate the intricate insurance byways but also find transport to the best option for clinics and cancer centers outside of the area to be treated.  All at a time when they feel their worst and when they need to be closest to family members at home.

The Indian River Medical Center Foundation began a fundraising campaign in November, 2012, to raise $30 million to build a new facility which would bring some of the top people to the area for cancer research, clinical trials and education.

They knew it would be a lofty goal which would take them some time to raise but what they did not foresee were the generous residents who would bring them a donation that would take their vision dramatically closer to reality.

Bill and Marlynn Scully along with close friends, Pat and Carol Welsh, surprised IRMC’s President/CEO Jeffrey Susi and Foundation President Jan Donlan with the $24 million donation.

“First, I was overwhelmed by the idea that two couples could be so generous.  Then I slowly began to grasp what a difference they were about to make for our cancer program,” said Susi.

In May, the Indian River Medical Center Foundation Chairman C. B. “Jack” Rogers and Chairman-Elect Tony Woodruff announced the record combined gift to support the medical center’s plan for Excellence in Cancer Care at a special gathering of hospital supporters.

The Scullys have had many brushes with cancer with family members and most recently Bill Scully’s brother John just passed away in September of last year so their connection and willingness to help the center is a personal one.

The Welshes also wanted to make a difference in a community that they felt was their home.  They added that they hoped others would see the need by their donation and make a commitment to IRMC as well.

The new Scully-Welsh Cancer Center will be an affiliate of Duke Medicine and construction now is planned to begin in 2014.

Bill Scully notes, “While every aspect of the program is critical for the care of cancer patients and their families, we are most excited to know that our support will attract the best and the brightest in clinical talent and will allow patients in our community to have access to thousands of clinical trials right here in Vero Beach.”

“Everyone associated with the medical center, considers these gifts truly transformational.  In the past 10 years, our community has seen dramatic change at IRMC, thanks to philanthropy,” said Susi.

Susi goes on to say that previous funds came through “incrementally as funding became available” but the staggering influx of this amount at once had much more of an impact.

“A gift of this magnitude allows us to take giant steps forward in making IRMC the best it can be for our patients and their families and achieve our goals far sooner than expected in Vero Beach,” said Susi.