A Legacy of Hope

John Heyman of West Palm Beach, Florida, is creating a legacy that will not only elevate medical mentoring programs but will honor the love of his life: his late wife, Kathy.

They first connected in 2000. “We met online, back in the early days of online dating,” John recalls. “We were pioneers.”

Kathy messaged him after noticing that his profile mentioned golf. She was a golfer, too. One dinner later, their love story began.

They married and blended their families, each with two daughters, and shared a vibrant life. Despite demanding careers, John and Kathy cherished time with their friends, family and three granddaughters.

“We saw a lot of the world together,” John says. “We’ve been to the South Pacific islands, Australia, most of Europe, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. … But when Kathy got ill, that was something we had to discontinue.”

Kathy’s health began to decline in 2021. First came diverticulitis, then colon infections, an inflamed liver and, finally, a diagnosis of aggressive, inoperable breast cancer. She spent many weeks at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. In September 2024, she was discharged to hospice. She passed away on October 11, 2024.

John is grateful to Kathy’s care team, led by Dana Sands, MD, staff surgeon in the Department of Colorectal Surgery and Director of the Colorectal Physiology Center at Weston Hospital.

Kathy especially valued the professionalism and continuity of care of the hospital staff. “She always said the difference was when the shift changed, both nurses came into the room together — so she didn’t have to repeat everything,” John says. “That made her life easier.”

To honor Kathy’s experience, John made a legacy gift to Cleveland Clinic, designating the hospital as a beneficiary of his trust. The gift will support the hospital’s Early Medical Education Mentoring programs, including the Summer Scholars and High School Pathways Programs led by Dr. Sands. These initiatives introduce high school students to the world of healthcare, offering mentoring and hands-on experience.

“This gives students who might not even consider college a chance to see what’s possible,” John says. “Some of them will catch the bug and go all the way.” He praises Dr. Sands not only for her surgical skill, but for her humanity.

“Even when Kathy wasn’t in for a surgical reason, she would stop by her room at night and call me on her way home,” John says. “All the doctors and nurses did everything humanly possible. They gave us hope.”