A Commitment to Paying it Forward

Todd Greenberg

Todd Greenberg learned a terrible lesson: No matter how long you have with your loved one, whether it is a marriage spanning decades or 11 years like he had with his wife Miriam, it is never enough time. Todd felt cheated when the unthinkable happened; Miriam was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 49 years old.

In the fall of 2012, Miriam began experiencing pain in her back that spread to the front of her body, and nothing helped to relieve it. She had an endoscopy and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, but the treatments her doctor prescribed didn’t improve her symptoms. Searching for answers, she underwent more invasive tests, which revealed a tumor at the top of her pancreas. Todd and Miriam were shocked and devastated. By the time Miriam was diagnosed, her cancer had already metastasized to her liver and lymph nodes, making surgery—her best chance for long-term survival—impossible.

Before Miriam’s diagnosis, Todd worked as a hospital administrator and supervised a gastroenterology lab that received a Lustgarten research grant. He immediately understood Miriam’s prognosis was grim. He arranged consultations with four oncologists, and Miriam chose Dr. Eileen O’Reilly at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. O’Reilly was the leading investigator of a Lustgarten-funded clinical trial for pancreatic cancer patients who, like Miriam, had a BRCA mutation, and she joined the trial.

“As a result of the Lustgarten-funded clinical trial, Miriam was doing well for so long,” Todd shared. Over time, however, the treatment destroyed her red blood cells and became unsustainable. Dr. O’Reilly continued to try different treatment regimens, as she sought to maintain Miriam’s disease at a manageable level and preserve her quality of life for as long as possible.

Todd and Miriam didn’t give up hope. “As Miriam’s caregiver, I had no choice but to figure out how to make life as easy as possible for her, given everything she was going through. As a caregiver, you don’t think; you just do,” Todd said.

Miriam was also blessed with the love and support of her family and close friends, who were instrumental in helping her cope. She even continued working in marketing research throughout her illness. “Working made Miriam feel connected, gave her a purpose, and kept her focus away from the disease. Most importantly, working brought a semblance of routine and normalcy to her day,” Todd explained.

Turning his fear about losing Miriam into action, Todd started Team Miriam’s BFFs at both Lustgarten’s New York City and Greater Philadelphia Walks for Pancreatic Cancer Research in 2013 and has been leading both teams ever since. The Greater Philadelphia Walk gives Miriam’s family and childhood friends a chance to celebrate her in her hometown, and the New York City Walk honors her legacy with her family and friends who live in the metropolitan New York area.

“The Walks help to preserve Miriam’s memory and are crucial to raising awareness and fighting this disease,” Todd shared. “2025 will mark the 10^th anniversary since Miriam’s passing, and the Lustgarten Walks continue to be an outlet for our family and friends to cry, laugh, and reminisce about Miriam. They’ve evolved into an annual get-together to show support for the critical need for pancreatic cancer research, because Miriam and so many others have passed away from this disease way too soon.” To date, Todd has fundraised more than $28,000 for the Lustgarten Foundation, and his personal giving has reached nearly $80,000.

“Ultimately I had Miriam for 23 months after her diagnosis—until February 1, 2015—and she was relatively healthy for 22 of those months,” Todd added. “Coming from a healthcare background, I understand the importance and responsibility of paying it forward and remain committed to making sure something positive comes from Miriam’s horrible experience with pancreatic cancer.”

In addition to his involvement with the Lustgarten Walks, Todd honors Miriam’s legacy by being a source of support, strength, and guidance for others, including Miriam’s friend’s husband, who is battling stomach cancer. Moreover, Todd donates a percentage of the annual sales of his Westchester-based franchise business, Budget Blinds of Ossining and Surrounding Communities, to the Lustgarten Foundation. He includes in his email signature a link to his donation page on Lustgarten’s website. “My rationale is that honoring Miriam and spreading disease awareness will also encourage my customers to donate to this cause, or even to support other worthy causes that are meaningful to them.” In fact, Budget Blinds’ corporate office honored him with a community service award for his contributions to pancreatic cancer research and for the powerful example he sets to others about the significance of charitable giving.

“For me, pancreatic cancer is very personal, and losing my wife when she was just 51 was life-changing and traumatic,” Todd shared. “The more donors hear stories of how our lives have been impacted by pancreatic cancer, the more likely they are to give a donation. And, with all funds going to support the most innovative research, I’m confident we are on the right path to finding a cure.”