Skip to contents
In This Issue:
Wellington Magalhaes of Brazil was so close to receiving his bachelor’s degree in French and economics from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth when leukemia prevented him from attending classes and completing his senior year. After hearing that the patient’s most important goal in life was to obtain his degree, Social Worker Mary Lou Hackett, LICSW, reached out to UMass Dartmouth to help his wish come true. Last week, administrators from the college came to BWH with a mission – to confer a degree on Magalhaes.
Everyone involved in Magalhaes’ care pulled together in less than 24 hours to make his graduation a memorable event, complete with cake, food and beverages, decorations and congratulatory signs. Eileen Molina, RN, nurse manager said, “It was very moving to witness the outpouring of support from nursing, social work, MDs, nutrition services, RN care coordination, pharmacy and environmental services, who wanted to make this happen for Wellington.” Magalhaes’ family and friends all mobilized in support of this event.
But the patient support did not stop there. When Magalhaes also expressed the desire to return to Brazil, the Patient and Family Assistance Fund in Oncology Care Coordination made that dream possible.
Magalhaes’ Oncologist Richard Stone, MD, clinical director of the Dana Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center Adult Acute Leukemia Program, said, “This is such a wonderful example of medicine’s very human side; our jobs go beyond writing chemo orders.”
“Knowing that we helped make his last wishes come true is something none of us will ever forget,” said Hackett.