From left, Marge and Chuck Aitken with their $30,000 donation to Steven Schuster, for his research in personalized cell therapy.
How do you thank someone for saving a loved one’s life? By helping to save the lives of others.
That’s what Chuck and Marge Aitken have been doing since she was successfully treated at HUP for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and then, two years later, a pre-cancerous growth on her pancreas. “We felt a strong need to give back, and research is so important,” Chuck said. “Without research dollars, none of the advances we see in cancer treatments would be possible.” Indeed, one of the drugs used to bring Marge’s lymphoma under control was a research drug just 10 years prior. So far they have raised over $200,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
They work as a team: Marge participates in half marathons and 10k races while Chuck, who was an assistant executive hospital director at HUP before retiring in November 2015, raises funds for each of the races, reaching out to vendors, contractors, family and friends. “Our fundraising model is ‘She does the walkin’, I do the talkin’” he said, laughing.
Marge successfully completes one of her many fundraising runs.
They recently donated $38,000 to Steven Schuster, MD, of Hematology and Oncology (Marge’s oncologist), for his research in using personalized cell therapy for b-cell lymphoma. “Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for HUP and for the doctors and nurses who cared for Marge during her many stays,” Chuck said.
In addition to raising funds, Chuck, a proficient photographer, has donated 30 photos– mostly landscapes and seascapes – to the Abramson Cancer Center, with 20 going to infusion rooms. “The life of a cancer patient – and their families – can be full of fear and uncertainty,” he said. “My hope is by looking at my photos they can go someplace else in their minds, even if it is for a minute of two.”