From Crisis to Compassion: The Abbott Family’s Story

“When your child is diagnosed with cancer, it affects every part of your life. It’s the perfect storm of uncertainty.”

As the parents of four children, Susie Abbott – a registered nurse at St. Joe’s for over 30 years, and her husband, Tony, were used to dealing with colds, coughs, and the occasional sports injuries that come with the territory. So, when their son Andrew came home from college for Easter break in 2017 with a swollen neck, they weren’t overly concerned and told him to keep an eye on it and get checked out if it didn’t improve or he started to feel sick.

Shortly after he returned to school, they got the phone call no parent ever wants to receive. Andrew had been rushed to the local hospital barely able to breathe and required a stent to open up his esophagus and give him some relief. But that wasn’t the worst of it. A scan revealed something even more serious: Andrew had Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma.

“Talk about your world being rocked,” said Tony. “Hearing those words took all the air out of my body. Your world is turned completely upside down and to a scary place in life.”

After taking a few minutes to process the news, Susie and Tony went into action and Andrew was transferred to a regional and local hospital in Tampa known for its cancer treatments.

Unfortunately, the prescribed chemotherapy regimen didn’t work, and the medical team recommended a transfer to either New York City or Houston for clinical trials.

“We were scrambling and scared. Of course, we wanted to do what was best for Andrew, but the thought of him being so far away from his family and friends and our support system was daunting,” said Tony.

That’s when an angel in the form of Susie’s director at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital stepped in. She asked if she could speak to Dr. Mark Mogul, then the Director of Oncology for Pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, about Andrew’s case, and the Abbotts were told to bring Andrew in the very next day.

Dr. Mogul got right to the point saying, “I know what to do. I got you.  And I’m going to treat you like you’re my very own son.”

“Even though he went on to explain in detail his plan for getting Andrew better, we knew the moment he said this to Andrew, that St. Joe’s was where Andrew needed to be,” Tony said. “Dr. Mogul’s confidence and compassion gave us hope. And his expertise ultimately gave Andrew his health back.”

The journey wasn’t an easy one. Andrew’s treatment started with six weeks of extensive chemotherapy five days a week. Susie stayed with him every night and he was allowed to come home on weekends. Next Andrew required a bone marrow transplant, another six-week process. He lost his hair and got really sick but eventually improved and rung the bell declaring himself cancer-free.

Three months later, a routine scan brought all their fears to life again. The cancer was back.

“We were distraught,” said Tony. “But Dr. Mogul would not be deterred. Some might have questioned our original decision to have Andrew treated at St. Joe’s, but we trusted Dr. Mogul, Dr. Cockrell, and his team of nurses completely, who were all amazing and so caring to Andrew.”

Another round of chemo and another bone marrow transplant followed. Andrew was blessed to have his two brothers, Anthony and Matthew, who were both tested as potential donors and both were matches, which was amazing news. Andrew’s younger brother Matthew was a closer match, and didn’t hesitate one bit to be his donor. Dr. Mogul and the rest of Andrew’s medical team were with him every step of the way, and today Andrew is cancer-free and completed his doctorate in Physical Therapy last summer, now working to help others.

When Tony reflects on that time, he is quick to mention two things the experience brought to light – in addition to the amazing cancer care available at St. Joe’s.

The first was the incredible support his family received from the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Team Member Emergency Fund. When Susie took a leave of absence from her job at St. Joseph’s, it took a financial toll as they were already struggling to handle the cost of Andrew’s treatment and living expenses.

“When you are going through something like this, it hits you from all directions,” Tony said. “You are emotionally and physically exhausted worrying about your child and the rest of your family. But in addition to that, cancer is an expensive illness even with insurance. There was no question Susie needed to be home for Andrew, but it was difficult. When Susie was approved for assistance from the emergency fund, it gave us a little boost that was greatly appreciated. It paid our utility bills for a few months and that was such a blessing.”

The second unexpected occurrence that came out of the experience was Tony’s involvement with the St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary Board, a team of volunteers who, in addition to their valuable hours, also raise funds for the hospitals.

“As I spent time at the hospital during Andrew’s treatment, I was touched and astonished at the number of volunteers who took the time to improve every aspect of the patient experience,” Tony said. “I actually went to the volunteer office to learn more about it and decided that at some point in the future, after I retire, that I would love to give back to St. Joe’s in some way and become a volunteer.”

But when he met and spoke to Mary Long, the manager at the volunteer office at the time, and now a volunteer herself, she simply asked Tony, “Why not now?”

“St. Joe’s saved my son’s life,” he said. “I love St. Joe’s, as does my wife, Susie, and everyone there. I knew I had to do something sooner rather than later, even if it was only a few hours at a time.  So that same day, I said, you’re right, why not now, and I agreed that day to become a volunteer.”

Tony started volunteering four hours a week and eventually became the Treasurer of the Auxiliary’s Board of Directors in 2020, a position he continues to hold. As an Auxiliary volunteer, Tony has given over 2,000 hours of his time, worked to provide an additional $150,000 in annual support from the Auxiliary (above and beyond the $1.5 million already committed over five years) for some of the hospitals’ most important initiatives, and made sure the Team Member Emergency Fund got a little extra financial help when it experienced a recent shortfall.

‘’St. Joe’s helped my son when he needed it most, and my family when we needed it most, and I am honored to be part of doing the same for others who need their help,” he said. “While I wish we’d never gone through what we did, getting to witness the kindness of others through the Team Member Emergency Fund and finding such a fulfilling way to be of service myself have both been silver linings I am truly grateful for.”