Cancer and Clinical Services Patient Stories

The gift of partnership

What started as a resource for a second opinion became his lifeline.

As is often the case, Bob Berry’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer came out of the blue. He was in his prime, with a successful career as a corporate attorney and a flourishing floral and home décor business in Medina, Ohio that he had helped build with his wife Teri.

“You’re never prepared for that diagnosis,” Bob says. “But we quickly decided that we weren’t going to under-resource this fight.” While the couple searched for answers at a prominent hospital near their home, a friend collected a list of national experts that was intended for second opinions. However, after his first physician simply declared Bob’s tumor inoperable, the couple no longer wanted a second opinion for confirmation, they wanted a different answer altogether.

They found it at the OSUCCC – James.

“On our way to Columbus, Teri and I talked about our objectives for that first appointment,” Bob says. “We wanted to know if the tumor was operable, and that the surgeon was able to perform the surgery. We also wanted to be confident in him. And I can tell you that Teri isn’t usually a crier – but at that first meeting, she almost did. We both knew immediately that we were in the right place, at the right time, with the right doctor.”

“We hit it off immediately,” says Timothy Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, an internationally recognized expert in alimentary tract surgery and chair of the Department of Surgery. “We talked honestly from the get-go, and I explained why the procedure would be difficult, but I also told them that I was convinced it could be done."

While it oversimplifies the path forward, Bob put his trust in Dr. Pawlik, and the surgery was a success.

“We’re incredibly blessed to have come to Ohio State, and to have had Dr. Pawlik as our doctor,” Bob says. “He understands a patient’s stresses and did everything he could to make us comfortable and give us the information we needed – his whole team did that.”

Now Bob and Teri are doing what they can to help others find their own lifeline at Ohio State. The couple has already hosted three fundraising events at Berry’s Blooms, where they cultivate and sell flowers, and the funds they’ve generated have led to the transformational Berry’s Blooms Endowed Professorship in Pancreatic Cancer.

“Increasing the number of endowed positions is one of the best ways to recruit and retain the most talented surgeons and researchers,” Dr. Pawlik says. “You can have all the latest technology and the best facilities, but breakthroughs and outstanding patient care always come down to the people on your team.

“It’s remarkable to realize that what started with just one patient and his family putting their trust in our surgical team and the James, has evolved into a genuine partnership and a new gift that will have immense impact for years to come. Bob and Teri have made that possible.”

“We are so appreciative of everything the James did for us, and we want to give back,” Bob says. “You can feel the importance that’s placed on creating a positive patient experience at the James. We feel it with everyone – with Dr. Pawlik, his whole team, even from the moment we’re greeted at registration. It’s a great part of the culture.”