Ray McDonald owes his life to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. And he’s doing his best to show his appreciation.
Nearly eight years after undergoing an autologous peripheral stem cell transplant at UNMC’s hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, for treatment of his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, McDonald is hosting a golf tournament and barbecue in Kansas City, Mo., on June 10.
Proceeds will benefit UNMC’s lymphoma research and provide patient assistance for needy families.
McDonald, 62, was first diagnosed in 2000 and received preliminary care in Kansas City. When the cancer didn’t respond completely to conventional treatment available in Kansas City at the time, he decided to seek more advanced treatment. He checked out two cancer centers – M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
His prognosis was bleak. At M.D. Anderson, the physician indicated that his chances of successful treatment were less than 5 percent.
When he went to the Mayo Clinic, the oncologist encouraged him to go to UNMC and see Phil Bierman, M.D.
McDonald had always wanted to go to UNMC from the outset, but his insurance plan didn’t include UNMC on its list of preferred providers. Fortunately, that policy changed and UNMC was added to the list.
“People are surprised when I tell them how great UNMC is,” McDonald said. “But I’ve seen it first-hand.”
McDonald’s disease presented itself in the form of a softball-sized tumor in his abdomen. Amazingly, the cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes, so Dr. Bierman was able to treat McDonald with his own stem cells.
“I’ve had no setbacks, no hiccups, just nice progression,” he said. “My oncologist in Kansas City has indicated that he’s amazed by how well I’ve done.”
McDonald hopes to raise more than $20,000 through the golf tournament, which is called “BBQ and Birdies.”
As director of merchandise and marketing for Wheatbelt, Inc., McDonald buys retail farm and pet products for more than 300 stores around the country.
One of his largest suppliers is Behlen Manufacturing Company of Columbus, Neb., which is headed by Tony Raimondo. Behlen is one of the sponsors of the tournament and will have a foursome in the event.
“We want to help Ray in any way we can,” said Raimondo, who is a member of the UNMC Board of Counselors. “It’s not every day that someone in Kansas City holds a golf tournament to benefit UNMC. Ray has really taken this thing to the next level.”
More than 90 golfers are already signed up for the tournament, which will be held at Tiffany Greens Golf Club, a course designed by Robert Trent Jones II and ranked among the top 10 courses in Missouri by Golf Digest. McDonald is hoping to recruit a total of 144 golfers.
The event is a four-man scramble with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. A silent auction and BBQ luncheon will follow. Cost is $135 per player or $540 per team. Hole sponsors are $300, and title sponsorships are $650.
McDonald stressed that the event is open to the public. “We realize not everybody plays golf,” he said. “That’s why we’re having the lunch and the auction. It only costs $25 to go to the lunch and the auction. We want as many people as we can to participate in the auction.”
One of the people who will be coming back for the event is McDonald’s mother, Alba McDonald of Lacon, Ill.
“She wouldn’t miss it. She was my caregiver when I received my transplant,” McDonald said.
To register for the golf tournament or to donate a gift to the auction, contact McDonald at ray-mc62@kc.rr.com.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.