Supporters of the UCLA Kidney Cancer Program

Supporters of the UCLA Kidney Cancer Program are people you, that have a first-hand awareness of kidney cancer, either by having have loved ones (parents, grandparents, children or friends) who have kidney cancer, or those that are concerned that one day they, or other loved ones might possibly be diagnosed with kidney cancer. The generosity of our supporters has helped us to make tremendous strides in our effort to find better treatments and a cure for kidney cancer.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone who has donated to the UCLA Kidney Cancer Program. The following individuals are just a few of the people who have generously supported our program. We would like to thank them and give you an opportunity to hear their stories:

Roy Doumani

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Doumani

As a prostate cancer survivor, Roy Doumani has a lot to be grateful for. His disease was virulent and highly advanced, when a prostatectomy was performed on him at UCLA Medical Center in 1992. But the procedure was successful, and through the vigilant continuing care of the doctors and staff of the Clark Urological Center, Roy remains active, healthy, and passionately aware of the importance of medical research and innovation.

“Learning that you have cancer is more than a wakeup call,” Roy says, “and once you are awake, there are many ways you as an individual can have an impact on the process of finding viable treatments for the disease. For me, one of the ways was the sponsorship of a brilliant doctor whose research was on the cutting edge of cancer treatment.”

In the mid ‘90s, Roy helped UCLA urologist Arie Belldegrun, M.D., found a biomedical company called Agensys to develop therapies for solid tumor cancers. Through the process, the two men became close personal friends, and as a result, Roy made a commitment of $1,000,000 to create the Roy and Carol Doumani Chair in Urological Oncology, which is held by Dr. Belldegrun. As an endowment, it supports Dr. Belldegrun’s work in perpetuity while he is a tenured member of the faculty. It also affords Roy the opportunity to keep abreast of the latest medical advances in the treatment of a disease that affects his life.

Roy also understands the impact of providing money upfront to underwrite and accelerate basic science and clinical research in the here and now. As he puts it, “Some of us are fortunate to be able to help fund research that is significant to us on a personal level. But it goes beyond ‘personal.’ Supporting research that either cures or mitigates cancer conditions does not just reach West Los Angeles or California, it reaches the world.”

 

Bert Ladd

Doris and Bert Ladd

Raised in the Kansas and Oklahoma oil fields, Mr. Ladd had always been very healthy. He served as a pilot in the Army Air Force during World War II and is a graduated with a degree in petroleum engineer from the University of Kansas. He established a long and successful career in the energy business and is still very much involved with his roles in several companies. About 10 years ago, he was suddenly diagnosed with prostate cancer. “ That gets your attention. It’s an important event,” he says. “ I was very impressed with Arie (Arie Belldegrun, M. D. ) and everyone else over there. Choosing a cause that’s dear to your heart is not hard to do, when you’re dealing with the outstanding UCLA Department of Urology."

Doris and Bert Ladd believe there are many good causes that need support. Ye t, their philosophy is that instead of scattering seeds, they prefer to focus their giving on a small number of organizations where they can have the greatest impact. The Ladds, who live in Los Angeles, have been very impressed with the UCLA Healthcare system and have chosen the Department of Urology to be one of their important charitable causes.

In the ensuing years, Mr. Ladd has maintained an active business and family life, and he and Mrs. Ladd continue to generously support prostate cancer research programs at UCLA. The Department of Urology wishes to extend the gratitude of the entire faculty and staff to Doris and Bert Ladd for their ongoing friendship and partnership and for the significant contributions they have made to cancer research.

 

Nancy Marks

Nancy Marks far right with her family,
left to right: Andrew, Jane, husband Howard
and Leon, center

When she’s asked for her favorite quotation on the subject of wellness, Nancy Marks responds with an ancient Egyptian saying: “Good health is a crown on a well man’s head that only a sick man can see.” In other words, people who are free of illness cannot realize the significance of good health. Nancy knows this full well, having overcome health issues of her own and having watched her mother pass away from kidney cancer.