PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mary, Member of the Public, on Support for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1:50:07
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125 sec
Mary, a long-time resident of the Upper East Side and former volunteer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), provides emotional testimony in support of MSK's proposed pavilion project. She shares personal experiences as both a volunteer and as a family member of a patient, highlighting the compassionate care provided by MSK staff.
- Mary volunteered at MSK for 18 years, witnessing firsthand the dedication of staff in caring for pediatric cancer patients
- She recounts her father's brief but impactful experience as a patient at MSK, praising the extraordinary care he received during his final days
- Mary emphasizes her family's support for the MSK pavilion project, hoping it will allow more families to receive the same level of care her family experienced
Mary
1:50:07
Good afternoon.
1:50:08
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you in support of MSK.
1:50:12
I moved to the Upper East Side more than 30 years ago, and my husband and I now live on York Avenue, just north of MSK's main campus.
1:50:21
In 1999, I started volunteering at the hospital every Wednesday night for more than 18 years I saw the amazing work of MSK firsthand among the pediatric patients and their families whom I was privileged to serve.
1:50:36
I witnessed the extraordinary dedication and professional compassion of the nurses and doctors.
1:50:42
And the desire of each and every MSK staff member to make the awful experience of pediatric cancer a bit brighter for these young children.
1:50:53
I also witnessed the sense of dedication and compassion first hand as a caregiver for my beloved dad, a bit about him.
1:51:02
My dad was the center of our large family.
1:51:04
He was as healthy and vibrant as can be.
1:51:07
We thought him invincible until a very rare and very aggressive cancer struck.
1:51:12
Immediately, he began treatment at MSK and spent the next 3 months in and out of the hospital.
1:51:18
As a family, we again saw the extraordinary compassion and dedication of the nurses, doctors, and staff.
1:51:25
A fact which my father often complimented them on throughout his care.
1:51:30
In less than 90 days following his cancer diagnosis, my family and I gathered as he began to decline.
1:51:38
The ICU doctors and nurses did everything possible to make this difficult time easier for all of us paying particular attention to my grieving mother.
1:51:47
We all had the hard privilege of holding my father's hands and one another as he passed away.
1:51:54
My dad's death left a huge hole in our hearts, but we know he's now at perfect peace.
1:51:59
And so are we with the care that he received at MSK.
1:52:03
We support MSK and their pursuit of the pavilion so that families in their toughest battles can experience the same care my family was afforded.
1:52:12
Thank you.