Fight on
The call came at 4 a.m. Robert was awake, the nurse said, and he wanted a cheeseburger.
In the days leading up to that news, Carolyn Reed and her sons Randy and Scott had been making arrangements to bring her husband and their dad’s body back to Birmingham. He had gone to Sloan Kettering in New York City for surgery for his pancreatic cancer, but instead, the leading specialist in the country sent him home to die.
But Dr. Marty Heslin, a surgical oncologist, decided to perform surgery that would give Robert another two years of life. Heslin had been a top fellow at Sloan Kettering, but in 2002 when Robert went home, Heslin was at UAB, minutes from the Reeds’ Mountain Brook home.
“It turns out we had the best in Birmingham,” Carolyn said. “The care we had at UAB was great, even aside from Marty doing the surgery, with the other doctors and fellows.”
During his last two years, Robert would see his last three grandchildren born and settle business affairs, but his family now sees an additional purpose in that time they had — inspiring a foundation that would enable Heslin to continue research for a gastrointestinal cancer cure.
Since 2004, the Robert E. Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation has raised $1.5 million for research at UAB with the support of the community.
Heslin identifies needs for research at UAB, and the Reeds and the foundation board help fund them. Their primary goal is to recruit more top medical talent to the hospital both for research and patient care, something that Heslin exemplified to the Reeds. They recall him not only being personable at the hospital but also making visits to check on Robert at home.
“There are a lot of brilliant doctors out there, but what separates the good from the great is talking to patients and families in the hospital room and giving you hope, going the extra mile to check on how you are doing,” Randy said.
“[Marty] is very unique in his personal interaction with his patients,” Scott agreed, explaining Heslin’s emphasis on taking what he learned in research to a patient’s bedside for what he calls “translational medicine.”
The Reeds now know that typically when you have symptoms for pancreatic cancer, it’s too late for treatment. But they hope the foundation and Heslin’s lab can help change that.
“[Marty] tells us there is much that has been accomplished that he couldn’t have done without the support of the foundation,” Carolyn said.
The foundation has used an apt saying of Robert’s for its annual Iron Bowl party and spring tennis tournament, the Love-Love Finish the Fight Magic City Challenge. Robert always told the boys not to start fights, but if they found themselves in one, they should finish it.
“It’s not only our brand, it’s personal and sentimental,” Carolyn said.
For the 10th year, the Finish the Fight party, held two Thursdays before the Iron Bowl, will ride the crest of the pre-game spirit. The casual event, scheduled for Nov. 20 at Old Car Heaven, will feature a silent auction, food, live music and more. In the past, both university presidents have attended, as well as cheerleaders and mascots.
“We walk in with a passion for our team, but at the end of the day, we are all there trying to make a difference,” Randy said.