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The Chemo Bell at Moffitt Cancer Center


Bells ring. 
Bells, chime, toll, peal, resonate and resound.
Bells foretell, warn and celebrate.

The Chemo Bell
The Survivor Bell

Cancer Centers have one or several large bells, each with a large clapper. They are mounted on the wall and when a patient receives their last chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer they ring that bell.

Mathew and I heard the Chemo Bell in the Infusion Center at Moffitt ring one time. Early on our journey. Everyone clapped and cheered. Mat and I stopped and looked at the bell that day and I thought at that time, it was a possibility for Mathew.

Bells have a vibration. When a chemo bell rings, when a person survives cancer (even if it’s for a short time) they resound for the rest of us. Their survival reverberates and gives the rest of us hope. 

I found another chemo bell on the 5th floor at Moffitt, in the hallway, past the patient rooms. Next to the chemo bell was a copy of a photo of a patient surrounded by loved ones after he had been able to ring that bell! I studied that photo on several occasions, noting the expression on that young man’s face and on the faces of those around him. 

I used to imagine who would stand with Mathew when he rang that bell. Of course, this was when we still had hope that Mathew would ever see a complete response and I could imagine the end of this journey and the start of the rest of Mathew’s life. How I looked at it and dreamed of the day. Imagining a photo, capturing that moment.

Then eventually realizing it would never happen for Mathew.


This blog is Mathew’s bell. It’s meant to chime, foretell, warn, celebrate and Mathew’s hope was that it would resonate.

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