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Spring 2018 : iPromise: Todd Stewart

iPromise: Todd Stewart

In November 2017, Brenda Stewart and her son, Todd, of Houston, donated $3,600 to MD Anderson in loving memory of husband and father Tommy “Steve” Stewart. Their annual donation will supply the coffee bar on the G16 inpatient leukemia unit, where Steve was a patient on and off for three years.

BY Todd Stewart

Brenda Stewart and her son, Todd, with nurses Syed Subzwari (left) and Zachary Modesto, from MD Anderson’s G16 inpatient leukemia unit. Photo by Todd Stewart

"I worked with my dad for over 20 years until he got sick. He was the best man at my wedding and he was the love of my mother’s life through 45 years of marriage. My dad always looked 10 years younger than he was, and he was in good health. One year, he went in for his regular checkup and some blood work came back abnormal. He was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Our doctor is considered to be one of the best, Dr. Guillermo Garcia Manero. We loved him.

Dad got really sick in October, so we were at MD Anderson throughout the holidays. My mom was with Dad 24/7. She is a registered nurse, so she appreciated the care from the entire nursing staff. They did a great job of caring for Dad. We would hug them all the time and pray with them. We felt like they were our extended family by God’s grace.

Before my dad went home to be with the Lord, we agreed that we wanted to do something to express our thanks to the G16 leukemia unit for walking that journey with us. The coffee bar was one of the little things that kept us going while Dad was on G16.

Sometimes you just needed to step away for five minutes and enjoy a small comfort. Now, we hope we can give someone a break from the mental stress and anxiety from fighting this fight, even if it’s just a cup of coffee. We’re thankful to have the opportunity to do a little something for the folks who fought on our behalf.

Do you promise? Tell us why you’re committed to Making Cancer History® by sending an email to promise@mdanderson.org.

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