$26 Million in donations — and counting — honors Stefanie’s legacy
When Stefanie Spielman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, she and her husband Chris, a former Ohio State and professional football standout, established the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
Their goal was to raise $250,000. Thanks to generous donors who share the Spielman family’s commitment to advancing research, the fund has now impressively raised more than $26 million.
Stefanie was “determined to find the good in something bad.” The “good,” she explained, was the love and support she received from the community, the everyday blessings she did not take for granted, and the tremendous impact of the Spielman Fund in helping multitudes of patients and their families.
An outpouring of support from the breast cancer community
The overwhelming success of the Spielman Fund comes as no surprise to those who remember Stefanie’s cheerful and inspirational persona.
“Am I astonished? No. Impressed and grateful? Absolutely,” says David E. Cohn, MD, MBA, interim CEO and chief medical officer of the OSUCCC – James. “The Spielman family, their friends and supporters, and the entire community have done a remarkable job of recognizing what was important to Stefanie.”
William Farrar, MD, also expressed his lack of surprise by the success of the fund. Dr. Farrar is a retired surgical oncologist who first diagnosed Stefanie in his breast cancer clinic at the OSUCCC – James. He helped her and Chris determine a treatment plan, performed her initial surgery and assisted with her treatment.
“Stefanie and Chris had a very difficult time dealing with her diagnosis,” Dr. Farrar recalls, “but they developed a plan to help them win this battle by leveraging their Christian faith and Chris’ notoriety as a former Ohio State athlete. They quickly realized that her diagnosis provided a forum for reaching thousands of patients who also needed support.”
Jennifer McDonald, an assistant vice president of development who leads fundraising efforts for the OSUCCC – James, believes Stefanie and Chris “were surprised and thrilled by the outpouring of support from the community as they quickly surpassed their original funding goal.”
“Stefanie was so present with the fund; she truly saw it as an opportunity to give back and make a difference,” McDonald explains. “Her presence and that of her entire family are what really helped the fund grow. If she could attend a fundraising event, she was there, and often her children were with her.”
Spielman family continues Stefanie’s work
Maddie Spielman, the eldest of the Spielman children, attributes the enduring success of the fund to “the power of my mom. She made everyone feel as if they were her best friend.” Maddie is currently an assistant director for leadership annual giving at The Ohio State University Alumni Association, and her work focuses on the OSUCCC – James.
“I cover multiple cancer areas, including breast cancer, meaning I can work directly with Spielman Fund donors and their families,” she says. “I’m awed whenever someone wants to give back despite going through unimaginable circumstances.”
Putting philanthropy to work for patients
“Every dollar donated to the Spielman Fund supports research, technology or patient care,” McDonald says. “That was an important decision by Stefanie and Chris. They wanted to ensure that charitable dollars would have full impact without the overhead of running a nonprofit.” The Spielman Fund comprises several sub-funds, including some that can be tapped to make an immediate difference. Collectively, these monies have led to such innovations and achievements as the Spielman Patient Assistance Fund, which provides educational and support programs for breast cancer patients, caregivers and families. The Spielman Breast Cancer Tissue Cohort and Tissue Bank provides a repository of samples for research and significant investments in technology to accelerate breast cancer studies and patient care.
Establishing a lasting legacy for breast cancer patients
On Oct. 24, 2011, Ohio State further honored Stefanie’s memory by renaming the newly opened JamesCare Comprehensive Breast Center as the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center (SSCBC). The center offers a full spectrum of care, providing patients access to innovative imaging, treatments, support services, clinical trials, reconstructive surgery and counseling.
Roman Skoracki, MD, an oncologic plastic surgeon and director of the SSCBC, believes support from the Spielman Fund has informed the OSUCCC – James’ vision for the breast center, which was the first of its kind in the Midwest.
“The vision at the inception of the breast center, together with the vision of many community leaders, donors and the Spielman family, has enabled us to build this model in which everyone is under one roof, facilitating greater communication and collaboration,” Dr. Skoracki says. “It also means there’s a sense of family, which includes patients, their loved ones and those providing care. This focus on family permeates everything we do.”
The sense of family aligns with the Spielmans’ determination to help the OSUCCC – James and the community follow Stefanie’s often-quoted reminder to “continue to fight, continue to live.”
“We’ve made great strides; There are treatments today that didn’t exist 25 years ago,” McDonald says. “However, we still lose loved ones to breast cancer. For me, that’s motivation enough to keep fundraising and investing in research initiatives that lead to better therapies and quality of life for our patients.”