Doug McPeak
Man with rare cancer
receives ‘amazing’ care
Read on to see how after his good friend was treated for a rare form of cancer at Blessing, Ansel Niemeyer is paying it forward through the Blessing Foundation.
People who have gone through it, and those who love them, know that chemotherapy is no “piece of cake.” But for Doug McPeak and Ansel Niemeyer, both of Bowling Green, MO, chemotherapy came with a piece of pie at the Blessing Cancer Center’s Infusion Center.
The first day of Doug’s treatment, accompanied by his friend Ansel for transportation and support, each man received a sweet treat from the staff - a piece of pie.
“Who does that?” Doug said with a chuckle. “It was great!”
The pie is an example of care that Doug and Ansel say exceeded expectations.
“Everyone treated us like family,” Doug said. “To me, it was almost like going to someone’s home for treatment, because that is how you felt.”
“Everyone treated us like family,” Doug said. “To me, it was almost like going to someone’s home for treatment, because that is how you felt.”
When Doug arrived at Blessing Hospital, terrible was how he felt. His cancer – Hairy Cell Leukemia, the rarest form of the blood-based disease – had made him sick for months, and had more than likely been growing in his blood stream for years, as it is a slow growing cancer. Doug and Ansel believe he was near death when referred to Blessing Hospital by providers in northeast Missouri.
The care Doug needed extended beyond medical treatment. With no health insurance, he considered not receiving treatment. Doug’s Blessing Cancer Center doctor suggested he apply for help with his medical bills through the Blessing Health System financial assistance program. Doug did.
“And they did,” he reported. “The whole time going through treatments and not being able to work, I never had to worry about, ‘Am I going to lose my house?’ ‘Is this going to drive me into bankruptcy?’ I knew they were going to help.”
“I did not realize how much they were going to help. But they took care of it,” Doug continued. “That’s a huge burden off your shoulders not worrying about your finances. It’s a great thing. After the first day of treatment, I never gave it another thought.”
“I was just amazed at how they took care of him, not only physically, but mentally and financially,” Ansel added. “I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is absolutely the most wonderful hospital – besides the one I was in – that I have ever seen in my life.”
In a coincidence as rare as Hairy Cell Leukemia itself, Ansel was treated 14 years earlier for the same disease as Doug. Ansel traveled to a Chicago area hospital at that time for care, where he received financial support for his medical bills from that hospital.
“That’s how I got involved with the Blessing Foundation,” Ansel said. “I appreciated someone helping me where I went. Then, I saw what they did for Doug here. They just stepped right in there. Other people’s generosity helped this guy live. This was my first experience with Blessing and I was so impressed.”
The experience led Ansel to add the Blessing Foundation as a beneficiary of his charitable trust.
The Blessing Foundation raises, maintains and disburses charitably donated funds for the benefit of the Blessing Health System. One-hundred percent of all money donated goes to whatever cause the donor wishes – from addressing the unmet needs of patients and their families, to helping department’s purchase new medical equipment, to staff and student education. For more information on the Blessing Foundation, go to blessingfoundationconnects.com.
“I only wish that I could do the same,” Doug lamented about making a financial gift to the Blessing Foundation. “I don’t have the resources. So it’s nice that, through a friend, I feel like I was able to give back something.”
For more information on the care provided by the Blessing Cancer Center, go to blessinghealth.org/cancer.
What is the Blessing Foundation?
Since 1983, the Blessing Foundation has been giving back to the community that has given so much to all of us. The charitable foundation distribute grants, scholarships and financial assistance to individuals and families to help them on their healthcare journeys.
For more information about the Blessing Foundation or to discuss a donation or gift, call (217) 223-8400, ext. 4800, or email us at BlessingFoundation@blessinghealth.org
