Sarah and Dix Davis journey with UMass Memorial Health started in 1970 when their oldest son was born at UMass Memorial Medical Center – Memorial Campus. Their second son was also born there in 1972, and then their daughter Margaret was born six weeks premature in 1977. Margaret spent two weeks in the UMass Memorial NICU where she received life-saving care.

“The NICU had opened just three years prior,” says Sarah. “There has been so much progress in medicine since then that if a baby is born prematurely now, while still a challenging time for the family, there is a lot more that can be done...

Erika Wilkinson, a longtime, dedicated supporter of Marlborough Hospital, passed away at the age of 96 after a life of service to others. She left a generous bequest to the hospital that had cared for her family since 1953.  

Erika’s daughter, Heidi, who passed away in 2006, was born on January 4, 1955, and was the first baby born at Marlborough Hospital that year. Heidi went on to spend many years there as a candy striper and a volunteer; she was beloved by hospital staff. Erika’s late husband, Bob, also received care at Marlborough Hospital for multiple health issues during his 91 years.

In a...

In March 2019, Emily Foster’s life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer.

Emily—who is a Global Brand Ambassador for her family’s company, Goslings Rum—was born and raised in Bermuda but splits her time between Bermuda, the United Kingdom, and Canada. She first underwent chemotherapy and surgery in the UK and then a smaller procedure in Canada. Emily’s health seemed to be under control for the time being.

Then the world shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“I started to experience intense gastrointestinal pain,” says Emily, “but it was difficult...

In 2023, Kweku Akese was a senior at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, thinking about college and making his mark in the world. Inspired by his passion for biochemistry and a personal connection to sickle cell disease—a disorder that alters the shape of red blood cells and blocks blood flow, leading to intense pain, organ damage, and other serious complications—Kweku wanted to make a difference in the lives of youth affected by this condition.

Kweku learned about “vein finders,” medical devices that use near-infrared light reflection to create a map of the veins and allow...

In the United States, nearly 90,000 people are currently on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, and the wait time average is three to five years. While finding a living donor is an often long and arduous process, this ended up being the easy part of the health journey for Nancy Hursey, a former nurse who was told she needed a kidney transplant amid living with diabetes and after two years on dialysis.

Thanks to the generosity of a young woman living in her community, Nancy quickly found a donor who was not just eager to help save her life but who was also a perfect match. Nancy and Frank...

This inspirational collection of donor and patient stories demonstrates how we support patients and caregivers, helping to provide funds for our patients to live stronger, healthier lives.