Turning Grief into Good

Nearly one in three people in the United States will have cancer during their lifetime. Tina Goins never imagined her husband would be one of them.

Tina knew her husband, Michael, was "the one" by their second date. Coincidentally, that day marked one year since his mom had passed, and Michael didn't shy away from sharing his fond memories of her with Tina. "Hearing the way he talked about his mom sealed it," the Satellite Beach woman recalled with a smile. She knew. Just as she knew after her beloved husband died at the age of 55 of Stage 3 multiple myeloma in 2012 that she needed to do something—not only to help her grieving heart heal, but to provide the quality care right here in Brevard that others so desperately need and deserve.

So, in addition to her annual support, she decided to make arrangements in her will for a major gift to the Health First Cancer Institute. Tina, who serves on the the Health First Foundation's Board of Trustees, feels passionately about giving back to Health First, which offers programs dedicated to improving the wellness and health of Brevard County residents.

"Including Health First in your will or trust is a simple way to have a very real and long-range impact on local cancer care for future generations," said Tina. "If my gift helps at least one person receive the cancer care and support they need without having to leave the familiarity of home, my life will be complete."

Both Tina and her husband grew up in hardworking families who did not have much, so the ability to leave a family legacy through her estate, Tina shared, is a true testament to all of the hard work her husband and his family invested in the local community they loved so much. She is amazed and humbled to see the generosity come full-circle over multiple generations, and making this commitment on behalf of her entire family has helped her through the healing process. With no children, and family members who are already financially comfortable, she'd like to be able to help others in the community that includes her neighbors, close friends, family members and the amazing care team that supported her and her husband during their cancer journey.

What compelled Tina to support the Health First Cancer Institute was not only the care and compassion Michael received, but the desire to bring the highest-quality, most effective cancer treatments to Brevard. The Health First Cancer Institute is the only multispecialty oncology provider in the county, offering the latest technological advances, exceptionally trained oncology physicians Turning Grief into Good Grateful Patient Gift Will Help Others Receive High-Quality Cancer Care in Brevard and state-of-the-art facilities. The Health First Cancer Institute brings together all aspects of the cancer care continuum to ensure excellent care for patients and families, close to home. Tina will always be grateful to Health First, whose physicians diagnosed Michael with multiple myeloma in January 2009 during an emergency visit to Health First's Holmes Regional Medical Center. She said previously other physicians had been dismissive about his excruciating back pain. It turned out he had a broken back, as well as a tumor on his spine.

"Nobody connected the dots at all," Tina recalls of the frustration to find an answer. "The ED physician just had a sense. It was such a relief to finally know what was going on, even if we were terrified of what the future may hold."

With the diagnosis, "life instantly changed," she said, with continuous doctor visits and treatments becoming the norm. But that didn't stop them from following through with their plans to get married in June 2009, just six months after his diagnosis.

For his rare form of cancer, Michael initially sought treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, then at the Myeloma Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock—all while closely coordinating care with Health First Cancer Institute physician Dr. Joseph McClure. While at Moffitt, a series of stem-cell transplants seemed to work temporarily. "After the first stem-cell transplant, Michael was in remission for 100 days," said Tina. During their last stay at the Myeloma Center in 2011, Michael took a turn for the worse. It was Tina, a long-shot match, who beat the odds and served as a white blood cell donor, providing the transplant that improved his condition drastically and allowed them a few more quality months together.

But the cancer came back, and eventually Michael chose to forgo any further treatments. The two returned to Brevard, where Michael died in January 2012. Tina was with him when he passed, as well as Dr. McClure. "As Michael's physician, I was inspired by Tina's dedication to her husband's care, and now her same level of commitment to their community through this gift to the Cancer Institute," shared Dr. McClure.

After Michael's death, Tina sought bereavement help through Hospice of Health First. Her counselor urged her to get involved with the the Health First Foundation, which was raising funds for Hospice of Health First at the time.

She hasn't stopped since.

"There's so much opportunity for all of us to be involved and active in making a positive impact on local health care," Tina said of learning about all the different programs the Foundation supports. "I am so grateful for the support and professional guidance from everyone at Health First, who helped me heal and turn my grief into good."

Jeanene Donilon, Foundation Director, stated that Health First is a not-for-profit healthcare organization that depends on charitable support. "Individual planned gifts are critical in helping us to plan for the future. Deferred gifts like Tina's can help fund future capital needs, new technologies and equipment, as well as enhance patient services. We are proud to recognize The Goins Family in our Foundation's Legacy Society."

To learn more about making a gift through your will or estate plan, contact Chris Kern at 321.434.1807 or chris.kern@hf.org.