D EFIN IN G M O M EN TS - Barnes-Jewish Hospital

paying it forward
comes full circle
When KSDK news anchor Leisa Zigman participated
in the cycling event Pedal the Cause in 2010, she
approached it like one of the many charity events
she takes part in—an appearance to help raise money
for a good cause—in this case, cancer research.
However, her own health crisis made the 2011 Pedal
the Cause a focal point in her efforts to “pay it forward.”
“I always had been proactive about my health, including
routine physicals, but two years ago, I found a lump
on my groin that got bigger and bigger,” Zigman says.
Finally, her trainer convinced her to get the lump
checked out.
Since Zigman had been feeling healthy, she was
shocked to be diagnosed with low-grade follicular
non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
She was quickly referred to Nancy Bartlett, MD,
a medical oncologist at the Siteman Cancer Center
at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University
School of Medicine.
“That first day, Dr. Bartlett put me on a protocol that
specifically targets cancer cells while leaving healthy
cells unharmed,” Zigman says.
The treatment protocol was a new combination of
Rituxan and Bendamustine chemotherapy drugs,
a mix that has fewer side effects than older treatments.
“The miracle of this new drug combination allowed
me to work through treatment and it helped my family
keep a relatively normal life,” Zigman says.
Most KSDK viewers didn’t even realize Zigman had
cancer because she stayed on the air throughout
treatment without any noticeable physical changes,
missing only a few days of work.
Both Leisa Zigman (right) and her oncologist,
Nancy Bartlett, MD, participated in Pedal the Cause.
Ironically, if Zigman had started treatment when
she first noticed her lump two years before her
diagnosis, the breakthrough treatment protocol she
ended up receiving wouldn’t have been available yet.
A traditional chemotherapy treatment would have
caused side effects such as hair loss, but the Rituxan/
Bendamustine combination treatment didn’t cause
Zigman to lose her hair and she had few side effects
from treatment.
When her treatment ended, Zigman funneled her
passion into Pedal the Cause—the event she
had attended only a few months prior as part
of charity efforts.
Pedal the Cause founder Bill Koman—a Hodgkin
survivor—is a friend of Zigman with strong ties to the
St. Louis corporate community. In 2006, Koman helped
The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital transform
its annual Reach For The Stars gala into illumination—
an event that raises an average of $1.5 million annually
for cancer research at the Siteman Cancer Center.
To take his efforts to another level, Koman created
Pedal the Cause with a goal to raise $10 million
annually. Proceeds from the event go directly to the
Cancer Frontier Fund, an initiative of The Foundation
for Barnes-Jewish Hospital to support cancer research,
and to the Children’s Discovery Institute at St. Louis
Children’s Hospital.
The event attracted more than 1,300 cyclists and
raised more than $1.3 million for cancer research.
Zigman’s “Team Leisa” was one of the largest cycling
teams in Pedal the Cause.
“I hope my role as a public figure can be used to raise
awareness for a cause I care deeply about, which is
helping to find a cure,” Zigman says.
30 BARNES-JEWISH HOSPITAL • 2011 Annual Report
DEFINING MOMENTS
31
PEDA L THE CAUSE