Dr. Kim Lyerly Is A Mensch
Mensch is Yiddish for “someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character.” H. Kim Lyerly M.D., Director of Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center and the George Barth Geller Professor of Cancer Research, is a mensch. I knew Dr. Lyerly’s mensch-y-ness right away. We were about to ride sixty miles from Durham, North Carolina to Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Lyerly was taking the day (June 29th) to join Martin’s Ride for our first day of riding a bicycle across the United States to cure cancer.
Watch a video of
Dr. Lyerly Kicking off Martin’s Ride (may take a minute to load)
Dr. Lyerly was worried about riding sixty miles in June’s North Carolina heat. His concerns were unwarranted. Looking back on ME forty pounds heavier MY concerns was warranted (lol). We rode out from Duke's Morris Cancer Clinic onto Erwin road dodging cars and looking for our back roads route. Dr. Lyerly set a great pace helping those on the north side of fifty (me and Dr. Lyerly) climb our way out of Durham toward Greensboro. It was a joy to ride a bicycle with him.
Dr. H. Kim Lyerly is all in. His presence is in every moment. Dr. Lyerly is BUSY. Besides being THE GUY on breast cancer (see
Dr. Lyerly next to Sheryl Crowe testifying before congress) he runs the best comprehensive cancer center in the world. “It is like conducting an orchestra,” Dr. Lyerly described his management philosophy as we rode to the
Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. He hires great people such as Karen Cochran, Head of Development, and finds ways to help them play the music of curing cancer. Did Duke's Comprehensive Cancer Center become world class because of Dr. Lyerly's positive idea virus or did he build on a solid foundation. Who cares. What is clear is Dr. Lyerly's cancer team is about the best in the world.
We were thirty, then forty then fifty miles from home and Dr. Lyerly didn’t look at his BlackBerry except briefly at lunch. His attention was on Martin’s Ride. This is amazing and so rare these email, cell phone and distracted days. Dr. Lyerly understands the power of his presence and the charity of his light touch.
Before my chemo iv started last week Barbara and Dr. Lyerly found me. Barbara, Dr. Lyerly’s mensch-y nurse, helped my mother and me feel loved and supported every step during treatment at Duke's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Barbara’s and Karen’s visits during biopsy, scanning and chemotherapy meant more than can be repaid. My Duke debt continues to grow ☺(don't worry am working on new ways to repay, but please continue to
DONATE to Martin's Ride as 100% of your generosity goes to cancer research at Duke :). I was sitting on a white starched bed. Looking up there was Dr. Lyerly’s quiet assurance. He placed a hand on my knee, looked me in the eye and told me he stopped by to make sure I was all right.
All right maybe but scared senseless too. There is something about sitting in an “infusion center” before chemotherapy that is analogous to time before the big game. In that moment before the iv is in you know things are about to irrevocably change, but you don’t know what you don’t know. You haven’t hit anyone yet or been hit (so to speak :). You are at your most vulnerable. Fear can creep in easily.
Fear didn’t get a hold this time thanks to Barbara and Dr. Lyerly (and my next door neighbor Dr. Prashant Kaul who visited later). Dr. Lyerly’s quiet strength is contagious. Turning from me to my mother Dr. Lyerly shook her hand supporting his handshake with both hands. Dr. Lyerly directed that Zen thing he has at my mom. I could see her relax. Think of the power of this simple human gesture. Here my 78-year-old mother is watching her 53-year-old son receive treatment for cancer. Can you say NERVES? In a quick moment calm was the order of the day. Everything was going to be fine. Dr. Lyerly left complementing his infusion team, “you are in good hands,” he said making Billy Growblewski, my infusion specialist, beam.
Complements are easy, but meaning and connection can be hard. Dr. Lyerly is a great doctor, Director and mensch because he stops a busy complicated world to connect. He directs a world-class orchestra who emulates, empathizes, builds on and improves his lead. Dr. Lyerly is Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic playing Beethoven’s 9th. When we cure cancer, and we will, Dr. Lyerly and the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center will be a big part of why. When we cure cancer we cancer survivors won’t care much about who or how. Credit will be for award committees. We “happy few”, to quote Shakespeare’s Henry V, cancer survivors will gratefully applaud the beautiful music artists such as Dr. Kim Lyerly and his amazing orchestra made. Dr. H. Kim Lyerly is a mensch conducting a great team. I'm lucky to call Dr. Lyerly friend and benefit so significantly from music he conducts.
Thanks doc!
Marty