Inspirational Stories

The odds were against Collier before he was even born. Prenatal tests at Duke Children’s showed a problem with his lungs, and when his mother went into premature labor, the neonatology team was ready. Collier arrived at 32 weeks weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces—and he was crying. No one expected him to be able to cry. Collier was quickly taken away to be placed on a ventilator.

The Shingleton Society--Duke Cancer Institute's Annual Giving Society--honored Sam Poley with the 2018 Shingleton Award for Community Partnership for his efforts to raise money for, and awareness of, Duke Cancer Institute and its fight against prostate cancer.

More than 100 volunteers from across Duke Health called more than 5,000 donors just to say "Thank you" for their support of Duke Health and all of its schools, institutes, and programs. Your gifts really do make a difference!

The Duke Eye Center dedicated the Frances and Stephen Foster Center for Ocular Immunology on October 9, 2018. This is a historic milestone for Duke Eye Center, as the Center is the first of its kind in the world.

Though she has battled melanoma that spread to her brain, Tricia Gallagher says that cancer has changed her life, and not in a negative way. "It's not the end of the road, it's not the end of your story. It's just a chapter in it," she says.

Small bowel cancer survivor Jim Slaughter says he gets more out of volunteering than he puts in. He encourages others to volunteer with the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program, as he does every week. "It's going to make you a better person," he says.

Eight-year-old Shania Robinson's life was saved at Duke with a double transplant of a heart and kidney.

When Paige Walker was diagnosed with cancer she knew she wanted to best care and treatment possible. She says Duke went far beyond her expectations.

Peter Morrisette and his family are grateful to Duke for saving his life after multiple tumors were discovered in his lower leg.

Bill Hudson and L.C. Industries provided major financial support for building the new state-of-the-art Duke Eye Center building. Mr. Hudson and Duke's world-class ophthalmologists and researchers, share a passion to cure all blindness by creating the future of eye care at Duke.