A celebratory moment
Sweet sounds: Bell ringing tradition at MD Anderson signifies end of cancertreatment
- Martha Fleischer rings the bell three times, signifying the end of radiationtherapy.
The sound of a ringing bell has different meanings in different circumstances. Often they're rung for religious reasons, at times to commemorate a momentous event, or in remembrance. At M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the ringing of a bell signifies that a patient has completed radiation treatment, a sound which is heard more than 7,000 times yearly.
The tradition started in 1996 with head and neck cancer patient Irve "Chuck" Le Moyne, the first SEAL to receive the two-star rank of Admiral. Le Moyne is credited with improving communications between special operations forces during special missions. He installed the first brass bell in the Radiation Treatment Center's main campus.
Today, there are several bells outside patient therapy rooms throughout the hospital, and the practice has also been adopted by other treatment facilities. The inscription on the bell reads:
Ring this bell
Three times well
Its toll to clearly say
My treatment's done
This course is run
And I am on my way!
Martha Fleischer, a breast cancer patient, recently finished radiation therapy. She credits her favorable prognosis to early detection technology. By observing microcalcification patterns, her doctors were able to diagnose and manage the condition before it became visible on a mammogram.
On her 30th and last visit, CultureMap captured this emotional and celebratory moment.
