On Valentine’s Day 2009, Meg Lindenberger was diagnosed with breast cancer. Throughout her treatment—a bilateral mastectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy—Duke surgeon Randall Scheri, MD, and his team ensured that Meg never endured nausea or missed a day of work at IBM. The day after her outpatient surgery, she participated in a teleconference call with her team.
Retired now, Lindenberger and her husband, Bill, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, spend some of their time and energy supporting Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). “I feel a sense of gratitude to Duke for saving my life,” says Lindenberger, who serves on the DCI Board of Advisors.
As a member of the DCI’s Shingleton Society, Lindenberger makes regular gifts and encourages her friends to as well. The society honors the generosity of those who make an annual gift of $1,000 or more to DCI. “My friends know that I don’t jump on just any bandwagon, so when I advocate for a cause, they listen,” she says. “Fighting cancer takes more than just one person—it takes a community of people supporting the work to make a difference.”
Shingleton Society donors are part of a legacy of devoted DCI pioneers and partners dedicated to extending and improving the lives of all people with cancer. The society pays tribute to William Shingleton, MD, the founding director of Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, now known as Duke Cancer Institute. Members receive invitations to educational and recognition events from Duke Cancer Institute and Duke Health, including the annual Society Luncheon and Shingleton Awards Celebration.
Lindenberger sees her fellow DCI supporters as a true community. “We love seeing the people we have gotten to know at the Shingleton events, and I love hearing about the research going on at Duke. I am so impressed by how these researchers persevere for years to develop an idea that will make a difference for people with cancer,” she says. “I was a biochemistry major in college. I see myself in some of these young researchers, and I am so proud of them.”
Please consider a gift of $1,000 or more to Duke Cancer Institute and become a member of the Shingleton Society. This committed group of annual donors stands shoulder-to-shoulder with physicians, researchers, and caregivers in the quest to eradicate cancer as we know it. Visit gifts.duke.edu/dci.
August 23, 2018
By Angela Spivey