In Their Words
Patients share their Dana-Farber experience
April 2007
Edward J. Benz, Jr., M.D.
President – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
44 Binney Street
Boston, MA 02115
Dear Dr. Benz (Ed, if I may),
I received your letter of April 26 (I actually just received it). It was also nice meeting you at the Harvard Club Annual Meeting. I thought your presentation was spot on for that audience, technical enough, but not too technical.
Indeed I was fascinated at last November's visiting committee meeting. It was also good to see a couple of my good, fellow cancer survivor friends like Howard Cox and Bill Poduska. It was a great showcase of some of the work and you should be very proud of the team at DFCI. I would be honored to be a part of this group and will look forward to "earning" my membership.
As Howard and Phil know, before I selected DFCI/BWH for my treatment, I did quite a bit of research, including visits to Sloan Kettering. There is no doubt I made the right choice. As an aside, my designated hit "man," Patty Brent, couldn't have been more effective, knowledgeable, professional, and persistent.
As for my pledge, seems like a small price for saving my life. However even though Phil/Anthony D'Amico are the best, the more I know, the more I understand how much is yet to be done. Without question, my two teenage sons will have the benefit of dramatically advanced diagnostics and, if need be, refined treatment protocols.
Thank you again, for the privilege of my continued learning in an area of my passion.
Sincerely,
Christopher H. Covington
