A Lifetime of Giving Is Carried Forward

Diane and Howard Gartner first met as counselors at a local day camp while in high school and quickly discovered they were kindred spirits. The couple, who were married 51 years, had been childhood sweethearts and they enjoyed the same taste in music and food. They shared a love of sports. And they both believed strongly in giving back – especially as volunteers.

“Diane was always the classroom mom when our kids were in school and was very active in the PTA,” Howard said. Years later, when she became a breast cancer survivor, Diane volunteered at the infusion center close to their home and at Hopewell Cancer Support Center. In addition to coaching little league and serving on nonprofit boards, Howard was a Big Brother, mentoring a suddenly fatherless young man into adulthood.

As they advanced in their lives and recognized their good fortune – they were enjoying good health and were financially comfortable – they decided to include giving in their estate planning. For them, placing their assets in a trust made sense. And true to their shared beliefs, their trust provides gifts to the nonprofit organizations that have touched their lives. They are investing in their children’s future by giving back to the community.

The care Diane received at GBMC’s Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute inspired her generosity – and her confidence. She was first treated by Dr. Gary Cohen, then the program’s medical director.

“He was terrific,” Howard said. “He was knowledgeable, of course, and he held Diane’s hand throughout the process.”

Diane’s cancer went into remission and, when Dr. Cohen retired, she got to know Dr. Robert Donegan as she returned for regular checkups. She and Howard were gratified to find in Dr. Donegan that same combination of skilled professional and wonderful human being they’d found in Dr. Cohen.

When Diane’s cancer returned four years ago, having metastasized, Dr. Donegan’s expertise and kindness were an enormous blessing.

“Dr. Donegan was so compassionate in the way he enlightened us to the situation,” Howard said. “He was encouraging and said we would find ways to prolong Diane’s health.”

Knowing the couple would get some much-needed rest during a planned winter in Florida, Dr. Donegan started her on a chemotherapy drug she could take orally, rather than by infusion. She continued to meet with Dr. Donegan, shifting to a telemedicine platform. He and his team found an oncologist near the Gartners’ Florida home and shared her medical records so she had full support there, should she need it.

The compassion Diane and Howard recognized in their GBMC doctors and staff is a trait they themselves share. As difficult as her illness was, the couple would talk about patients they witnessed who were managing the same burdens of cancer treatment – and harsher ones – often with fewer resources. They worried about her fellow patients. Those concerns were eased when they learned more about GBMC’s Oncology Support Services (OSS) and the ways the team removes barriers to care for cancer patients – from the cost of medications to transportation. It is another example of the combination of expertise and patient-centered caring they appreciate at GBMC.

Dr. Cohen’s and Dr. Donegan’s extraordinary kindness, the way everyone at GBMC made them feel well cared for, and the ways they saw GBMC caring for others inspired Diane to include a generous gift to an endowment fund for OSS in her trust.

That Diane’s gift plans have come to fruition feels bittersweet. Over time, the cancer’s growth outpaced the ability of medications to combat it and lymphedema, a side effect of her first treatments for breast cancer, spread. More importantly, Diane’s pain and agitation became overwhelming. For a time, she benefited from palliative medicine. Ultimately, she was admitted to Gilchrist for hospice care, and family and friends were given the time they needed to say goodbye. Diane passed away on July 2, 2022.

It is a comfort to her family to know Diane’s name will live on in service to other cancer patients. The Diane E. Gartner Symptom Management Suite in the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion will ease the path of countless cancer patients for years to come. When a cancer patient needs emergency care, they can be treated by the oncology team in a familiar place, rather than in an emergency department. The clinicians who care for them will have the expertise the patients need.

It is a fitting tribute to a woman who lived the belief it is better to give than to receive.