Dr. Nicholas Bacon, Chief of Oncology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Imparato Endowed-term Professor in Surgical Oncology, and Director of Olive’s Way: “From Olive, we all learned that somebody has to be in that 10%, and at that point, to take nothing for granted. We learned about the potential to succeed. I wish we knew how to make all cancer patients live as long as Olive did. Today, we have more options available to us as a result of Olive’s Way. It’s all about knowing what works, and then we educate (the pet owners) so that they feel more in control of what feels like an out-of-control situation to them.”
Dr. Bacon, shown left, and right with Melanie Gonzmart. The Gonzmart’s family dog, Rusty sits on the Oncology Board of Directors, alongside Olive (top photo).
Dr. Kelvin Kow, an oncologist and Clinical Assistant Professor was also part of Olive’s team. “We worked on finding options that would work for Olive, and she did tremendously well. We provided an almost advisory position to Coral Springs Animal Hospital while Olive was undergoing chemo there. She lived her life with cancer more than without it. And the important thing to remember is her quality of life during her life with cancer was good.” “This is the world in which we live, here at the University, dealing with issues that will eventually end a patient’s life. It is always sad. But with each patient, we learn something new. Olive’s impact on all of us was tremendous. First, she gave us a chance to form an amazing human bond with the Posins. The sense of loss from her death was felt by all of us because she was the connection that brought us all together. The silver lining is that, through Olive, many other lives, human and animal, have been, and will continue to be positively affected. We could not continue to do what we do here without the support of people like the Posins and our other donors. We compete against oncologists who treat humans for the same piece of pie in funding and grant money.”
Dr. Kelvin Kow (top left in photo) examines a dog.
The roles of the doctors at the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine are multi- faceted. Long hours are pretty typical. In addition to treating patients, the doctors are doing research and teaching classes. “It is rewarding to be working with these ani- mals. They deal with and respond to treat- ment differently than humans,” said Dr. Kow, “It’s also very fun to be part of a team of like-minded people. The team approach is very prevalent here.” Dr. Kow also wanted to emphasize that the team approach extends beyond the School of Veterinary Medicine to the veterinary practitioner. “They’re on the front lines, dealing with these complexities on a day-to-day basis. We receive a lot of referrals from primary care veterinarians. They are our clients just as much as our patients are.”
60 THE NEW BARKER
Dr. Christine Fahey.
Dr. Christine Fahey, who trained at Cornell University, became the first recipient of Olive's Way Internship in Oncology in 2009. The following year she was supported by the Fund to embark on a residency in Medical Oncology. In 2012 she became Chief Resident in Oncology at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
www.TheNewBarker.com
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