Highlights of Hope Spring/Summer 23

PHILANTHROPY
Building a legacy through love
and research
“If I can save one life, then all this suffering is worth it,” Wendy
Jo Blakely said when she decided to donate her body to science.
Her husband, Rusty, was not surprised by the decision. They had
been married for 34 years, and every day Wendy demonstrated
courage and strength.
She did so for three decades as a nurse, supporting patients
through challenging times. Her determined spirit was obvious
when she trained for marathons, pushing her body to the limit.
Most of all, she demonstrated her strength following a devastating
diagnosis in 2018: five lesions in her pancreas, and some in
her liver.
It was stage four pancreatic cancer.
Although Wendy started chemotherapy right away, it never felt
right to her.
“She was ready to move past cancer, but the chemo was just too
much,” Rusty said.
The couple sought second opinions and alternative treatments, but
Wendy wanted to live her life her way: If she only had a few months
left, those days would be filled with sailboat rides with their
children, Owen and Olivia, and bike rides alongside her life partner.
Wendy and Rusty spent three
months enjoying every minute
they had together. They
danced in the kitchen after
work, rode their bikes and
visited family. Wendy wanted
to enjoy her time, and she
truly did.
“Unknowingly, Wendy and I had
our last bike ride together on
Cinco de Mayo 2018, just
18 short days before we lost
her,” Rusty said. “Even then,
Wendy Jo still had such a joy
for life, and her gentle laughter
filled the air. Her warm smile
and loving heart are still clear
and will always be a part of all
of us forever.”
“Wendy never complained. She
made the best of every day
and every minute she had left,”
Rusty said. “She was always
smiling, always laughing, and
those are the images we have
of her in our minds.”
Wendy passed away in May
2018, shortly before a planned
trip to France. In the midst of
loss, Rusty knew he wanted to
grow Wendy’s legacy. She had
elected to give her body to
science, but he wanted to do
more. The result was the Wendy
Jo Blakely “Je t’aime” Pancreatic
Cancer Fund, aptly named with
the words “I love you” in French.
The fund resides at Van Andel
Institute.
“Our love got cut short, but
some people live their whole
lives without experiencing what
we did,” Rusty said. “This is a
way to stay positive, to keep
her memory strong, and to
hopefully help someone in
the future.”
The Wendy Jo Blakely “Je t’aime”
Pancreatic Cancer Fund is
a permanent fund in the
Department of Cell Biology
at the Institute. It will support
groundbreaking pancreatic
cancer research for years to
come. If you are interested in
supporting the Wendy Jo Blakely
“Je t’aime” Pancreatic Cancer
Fund or establishing a similar
gift in memory of a loved one,
please contact Kate Frillmann
at 616.234.5515 or
kate.frillmann@vai.org.
THE BLAKELY FAMILY
20 | VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF HOPE