Your Stories

Stories That are Only Possible Here: Thanks to You.

 

At MD Anderson, providing world-class care is at the center of everything that we do. Your generosity fuels our mission to end cancer and ensures that patients receive life-changing treatments from world-renowned experts. Because of supporters like you, research moves faster, clinical trials reach more patients, and compassionate care assists families when they need it most.

 

Learn from patients, caregivers and donors about how care and innovation at MD Anderson have changed their lives. These stories are possible because of supporters and dedicated friends like you.

Story Spotlight

Meet Scott Ferguson

When Scott's doctor gave him 12 months to live, he picked up the phone and called MD Anderson. Today, he has no detectable cancer. Scott's looking forward to giving back to the organization that has been with him each step of his treatment.

Read Scott's story
Scott Ferguson smiles indoors in front of a bookshelf.

Meet Colleen Wittoesch

When Colleen Wittoesch, stage IV melanoma survivor joined an immunotherapy clinical trial in 2016, the most she hoped for was to help scientists to better treat the disease. Now, almost 10 years later, she is still cancer-free — and a true believer in immunotherapy and MD Anderson.

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Colleen Wittoesch,Melanoma survivor,Philanthropy Campaignon Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.

Meet Mikela Pettigrew

While her mother was undergoing kidney cancer treatment, Mikela Pettigrew vowed to become a nurse at MD Anderson.

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Annual Report - Clinical Nurse Mikela PettigrewOn G16Meyers Instituteon Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.

Our Priorities at Work

Meet Mabel Ortiz

Case Manager Navigator Mabel Ortiz knows what it’s like to be a patient; she is a tongue cancer survivor. She is grateful to be able to use her new voice, one that speaks with empathy and understanding, to provide hope to others even in the most challenging circumstances.

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Mabel works diligently at her computer.

Meet Anh Huynh

A cancer diagnosis can be incredibly scary and overwhelming for patients and their families. That’s where Anh Huynh comes in. As a treatment nurse navigator in MD Anderson’s Thoracic Center, Huynh supports patients throughout their care.

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mabel-ortiz-case-navigator

Meet Dwan Thomas

Stage II breast cancer survivor Dwan Thomas calls MD Anderson 'a source of stability during a very chaotic time.’ Find out why this prompted her to promote MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer.

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Breast cancer survivor and BOV Advance Team member Dwan Thomas on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.

Meet Sadie (Hutson) Rau, Ph.D.

For Meet Sadie (Hutson) Rau, Ph.D., her decision to lead MD Anderson’s Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing reflects decades of dedication to oncology nursing and research, and personal resilience as both a caregiver and a patient.

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Sadie Hutson, the new head of the Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Meet Mikela Pettigrew

While her mother was undergoing kidney cancer treatment, Mikela Pettigrew vowed to become a nurse at MD Anderson.

Read Mikela's story
Annual Report - Clinical Nurse Mikela PettigrewOn G16Meyers Instituteon Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.

Meet John Tesh

Composer and journalist John Tesh embodies what it means to be a multi-hyphenate. Among his titles? Cancer survivor. He shares his path to MD Anderson.

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John-tesh-cancer-survivor

Meet Brenda Spiedel

Brenda Speidel couldn’t make a large donation to thank MD Anderson for the 10 ‘bonus’ years she shared with her late husband, Ronnie. Instead, she’s finding other ways to support the research program that extended his life.

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Meet JC Cox

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor JC Cox turned to MD Anderson when local treatment failed to keep the cancer at bay. Here, a single dose of a novel cell therapy administered through a clinical trial has put — and kept — him in remission.

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Meet Jamie Broach Byrd

The late James Broach became interested in supporting cancer research while undergoing treatment for a brain tumor at MD Anderson. Find out why his widow, Jamie Broach Byrd, is carrying on that legacy.

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Meet Scott Ferguson

When Scott's doctor gave him 12 months to live, he picked up the phone and called MD Anderson. Today, he has no detectable cancer. Scott's looking forward to giving back to the organization that has been with him each step of his treatment.

Read Scott's story

Meet Stacey Beckworth

Stacey Beckworth traveled to MD Anderson from Austin for help with severe lymphedema. Now, she’s a huge fan of its aftercare and looks forward to receiving it at a new location in Austin.

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Meet Jamie Chandlee

Austin resident Jamie Chandlee has been in remission for 16 years after seeking treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma at MD Anderson. Find out why she’s excited to know that MD Anderson will soon be closer to home.

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Meet Tomika Gamble

Tomika Gamble knows firsthand what it’s like to find out your child has cancer. Her experience is why she's looking forward to Kinder Children's Cancer Center and what the collaboration will mean for families.

Watch Tomika's story