A Focus On Giving

Young Couple Faces Cancer Scare by Giving Back

For Morgan Pierce, a newly hired Pharmacist at McLeod, giving a portion of her salary to help others through the McLeod Health Foundation came naturally.

At the time she began giving, she had no idea what her young family would face.

In 2019, Morgan and her husband, Josh, settled blissfully into family life with their new son, Ryan. Then, Josh began experiencing an unusual pain in his abdomen and back. The otherwise healthy 29-year-old teacher and football coach decided to consult his family physician Dr. Prakash Beeraka. Tests revealed frightening results.

Josh was diagnosed with a rare testicular cancer, which required immediate and aggressive treatment.

He was quickly referred to a team of physicians including Dr. Wayne Holley, Dr. Amy Murrell and Dr. Rajesh Bajaj.

As Josh experienced the side effects of chemotherapy, Morgan felt blessed that they had the ability to pay for his treatment as well as essential pain and nausea medications.

As a pharmacist working in the McLeod Cancer Center, Morgan knew this was not necessarily the case for all patients.

“I read the names of patients as their charts came across my desk each day, knowing that many had no insurance or the ability to pay for what they needed,” Morgan recalled. “It was such a great relief to know that the HOPE (Helping Oncology Patients Everyday) Fund was there to bridge that gap for them.”

In the midst of their journey, Morgan received a postcard in the mail from the McLeod Health Foundation about a new service available to donors: FreeWill.

FreeWill allows those who do not have a will to create one easily and for free. Morgan tucked the postcard away and vowed to come back to it later.

The following year, Morgan and Josh decided to create their will. Keeping with their desire to help others, they included the McLeod Foundation as a beneficiary.

“After walking through this cancer journey, we knew we needed a will, especially for our young son,” Morgan shared.

As Josh continues to recover, the young couple has returned to their focus on helping others. This year, they joined the McLeod Foundation’s young giving society, the Circle of Excellence, allowing them to give back to the hospital they love.