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The Hecktman Family |
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Despite the joy Penny Hecktman currently experiences as a mother of three adult girls and the wife of a successful businessman and philanthropist, she will never forget the essence of her first husband who lost his battle with lymphoma just after he turned 30.
"My husband was so young when he got sick and when we would wait in the doctor's office for his chemotherapy, he would sit and cry for the pediatric patients who were also sick. That was a sight that really impacted him-watching the bravery of those children despite their pain and suffering."
Surgery not an option
Toward the end of his illness, Penny's late husband was treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center by John Ultmann, MD, a former Professor and Director of the Cancer Research Center, who suggested that he undergo a bone marrow transplant. However, his condition quickly worsened and surgery was no longer an option. "Even after Dr. Ultmann knew he couldn't do anything for my husband, he was still trying really hard to be there for us emotionally and psychologically," she says.
Those memories, dear to Penny's heart, coupled with the generosity of her current husband Jeffrey Hecktman, who regularly contributes to a variety of causes, prompted them to donate $500,000 in support of Chicago's Pediatric Stem Cell Biology program led by John Cunningham, MD, Professor and Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology in Pediatrics and Harinder Singh, PhD, Professor, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology.Their gift will fund two new recruits who will be named the Hecktman Senior and Junior Fellow respectively.
"My former husband was a very brave, courageous person," Penny says. "My husband today is a fine man, dedicated to hard work that not only contributes to the excellent care of his family, but also to the constant aid of others in need. If you put all the pieces together, it just seemed like a nice fit that we help out in that area."
A family commitment
En route to be a leader in her own right is the Hecktmans' daughter, Hillary, whose interest in stem cell biology highly influenced her parents' decision to support the program. A nursing degree student who is contemplating medical school due to her interest in pediatric oncology, Hillary previously shadowed Dr. Cunningham and had an opportunity to visit with many of his patients.
The Hecktmans applaud the selflessness of each of their girls and were equally pleased when their eldest daughter Candace, who wed in 2008, honored her bridal shower guests with a donation to Comer Children's Hospital in lieu of party favors. And when their youngest daughter, Valerie, cut her hair, there was no doubt that she would donate it to Locks of Love.
"Jeff and I have always believed that the kids, as fortunate as they have been, should have an idea of how it feels to help other people," Penny says. "They know that the world does not revolve around Highland Park, Illinois."
When it's all said and done, Penny hopes that the gifts her family donates will impact others in a positive way and that the future for stem cell research includes an outcome that would allow those who suffer from diseases like lymphoma, to lead long and healthy lives. "It would make all of us so happy, including my first husband, if we could find a cure," Penny says.
For more information on the pediatric stem cell biology program at the University of Chicago Medical Center, contact Callie Whelan at 773-834-1261.
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