Eric and Nancy Reeves Honor Exceptional Caregiver, Dr. Henry Rosenberg

Eric Reeves (seated) and Dr. Henry Rosenberg"When I got off the plane from Sudan in 2003, I never thought to worry about my own mortality," says Eric Reeves, a literature professor at Smith College and an internationally acclaimed researcher, analyst, and human rights activist, whose scholarship on Sudan and the Darfur genocide have played a significant role in saving many thousands of lives.

Feeling a bit run down upon his return, Reeves thought that he, like so many people who visit Sudan, had contracted some sort of bug. He went to see his long-time primary care physician, Henry Rosenberg, a specialist in internal medicine and member of the CDH medical staff, who happens to be a friend and back-door neighbor. Fully aware that Reeves had just returned from one of the poorest, least developed nations in the world, Dr. Rosenberg took immediate steps to diagnose the problem.

What turned up was something far more disturbing than a bug. On a cold, January night, the Reeves were surprised by knock on their door. Rosenberg sat down with his friend and patient to deliver a diagnosis of leukemia.

"I was just stunned," recalls Reeves. "This was the last thing on my mind. So it was helpful that Henry could be so clear-eyed and knowledgeable about the situation. He's been an unbelievable partner in helping me decide what steps to take."

Reeves's case turned out to be unexpectedly complicated and he has required the advantages of clinical trials and a stem cell transplant. While Reeves has received treatment at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dr. Rosenberg has played an enormous role in helping Reeves cope with the many complications of his treatment.

"Throughout this whole process, Henry has been attentive, smart, just an excellent physician. And we know many of his patients who experience him this way." Reeves wife, Nancy, is quick to emphasize the critical role primary care physicians play. "It's always difficult when someone you love is sick. And when an illness is particularly complicated, you really want a PCP who you know is really smart and who works well, both with local and non-local doctors."

Reeves suffers from a chronic form of leukemia, and his treatment has been ongoing for nearly five years. Still, his work for Sudan continues unabated. Both Eric and Nancy Reeves are profoundly grateful to Henry Rosenberg for his help in keeping Reeves' commitment alive.

To express their gratitude, the Reeves have given a gift to CDH in honor of Dr. Henry Rosenberg, making him the first caregiver recognized by the new Gift of Caring program.

Please make your Gift of Caring today.