iPromise
Anne Mendelsohn has long supported Houston's cultural and philanthropic communities, particularly those related to education, health care, the performing arts and the public understanding of science. She has chaired the board of the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston regional board of Teach for America. Anne and her husband, John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of MD Anderson, have received a number of honors together, including the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, the Houston Technology Center Celebration of Entrepreneurs Award and the Teach for America - Houston's annual award for advancing education.
Before we came to Houston in 1996, I’d never dreamt that one could love an institution. But when I walked into MD Anderson, it was love at first sight.
Someone was playing a lilting piano melody, and a volunteer I’d never seen before rushed up to welcome us with an infectious smile and big hugs. Hope, love and dedication to the mission of defeating cancer were palpable everywhere. Doctors, nurses, staff, patients, volunteers ― all dream the same dream and work relentlessly to make it come true.
A painting by an 11-year-old patient from Saudi Arabia captures my feelings perfectly. He painted a group of children, with a flag that reads, ‘We love life. We love the MD Anderson.’ We do! It’s been an enormous privilege to work with our superb team at the No. 1 cancer center in the nation on Making Cancer History®.
Do you promise? Tell us why you’re committed to Making Cancer History®, as Anne Mendelsohn did, by sending an e-mail to Promise@mdanderson.org.
