UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center hosts the 2024 Iron Strong Awards

In the warm sunlight of late morning, July 12, 2024, nine clinical trial patients gathered alongside their caregivers and loved ones in the Barbara and Edward Partridge Atrium of the Wallace Tumor Institute as part of the second annual Iron Strong Awards. A testament to the power of clinical trials, the Iron Strong Awards celebrate the persistent courage and strength of cancer clinical trial patients, both in their cancer treatment journeys and in helping to fight for a future without cancer.

The event opened with a welcome delivered by Casi Ferguson, a member of the Advisory Board of the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. There was a short break for lunch, and after that, the Director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., gave the ceremony’s opening remarks. Sleckman spoke to the importance of clinical trials in cancer care, highlighting how many commonplace treatments available to patients today are the direct result of past clinical trials.

After his speech, the awards ceremony pivoted to the presentation of medals. One by one, the physicians of each of the nine honorees, or one of their nurse practitioners, stepped forward and spoke about each patient’s respective journey. When they were done, each respective honoree stood and received an iron medal in recognition, a symbol of their strength and resilience.

The honorees of the 2024 Iron Strong Awards included:

• Debby Davis
  • Patient of Michael Straughn, Jr., M.D.
  • Ovarian Cancer
• Tara Ransom
  • Patient of Katia Khoury, M.D.
  • Breast Cancer
• Tom Michaels
  • Patient of Luciano Costa, M.D.
  • Multiple Myeloma
• Dorothy Brown
  • Patient of Luciano Costa, M.D.
  • Multiple Myeloma
• Fred Halstead
  • Patient of Arnab Basu, MPH, FACP, M.D.
  • Bladder Cancer
• Iyanala Chaney
  • Patient of Aman Wadhwa, M.D., MSPH
  • Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Rebekah “Becki” Quinn
  • Patient of Maya Khalil, M.D.
  • Melanoma
• Lisa Williams
  • Patient of Nusrat Jahan, M.D.
  • Breast Cancer
• Hunter Creamer
  • Patient of Kimberly Whelan, M.D., MSPH
  • Neuroblastoma

The event concluded with closing remarks by Susan Stewart. Stewart, in addition to being a cancer survivor, was one of the 2023 Iron Strong awardees. She spoke at length about her own journey with cancer and how clinical trials took her from a prognosis of six months to live to returning to a happy, healthy quality of life. Finally, Susan Stewart thanked both UAB and the O’Neal Cancer Center for both saving her life and for all the work they do in working towards a future without cancer.

—Mackenzie Sexton