| Photo by Stephan Bechert on Unsplash
Part XII of a “Cancer/Medical Moonshot” Series
“The only way to ascend a mountain is by putting one foot ahead of the other, one step and then another, with grit and vision” — Shelley Hwang, M.D., who climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2021. It is the highest mountain on the African continent.
Writer Sarah Avery cleverly used mountain climbing as a metaphor. Yes, when she wrote for this year’s first-quarter issue of BreakThroughs magazine at the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) about Dr. Hwang’s research. She has collaborated with fellow oncologists at the DCI on Reaching New Heights in Breast-Cancer Care (an outstanding article title Ms. Avery chose).
There is really a “Duke Mountain”, which is “The Anlyan Tower”, the tallest structure in Duke Medical City. It was named after William George Anlyan, M.D., “in recognition for his extraordinary vision, service and leadership as a surgeon, Dean, Vice President and Chancellor for Health Affairs.”
Fighting cancer and other diseases is like the art of climbing mountains. This columnist discovered that, indeed, many Duke employees walk to the Anlyan Tower’s ninth-floor building summit. Some Duke personnel prefer to walk there and do the climbing as part of their daily exercise regimen. However, some DCI employees call the building the “North Tower”. This writer also does his walking-and-climbing routine when he visits his beloved kin, who is presently a patient undergoing treatment at the DCI for cancer.
This columnist harps (pun intended) on the fact that some Duke’s A.N.G.EL.S. (Angels) really come down from the sky to land at Anlyan Tower’s summit, which is actually a helipad. Yes, a heliport where medical helicopters land and take off. Here is more data about the Duke Life Flight (DLF). It is a nationally recognized, CAMTS-accredited provider of critical care air-and-ground transport services. It serves not only the state of North Carolina but also the surrounding regions. It is committed to providing rapid, life-saving care to patients in urgent need.
“Yes, cancer cures and other medical miracles sometimes have relapse episodes. It may be best to add the dancers’ routine to Dr. Hwang’s medical advice. For “it takes more than a village for medical miracles to happen.””
The DLF operates two state-of-the-art rotor-wing aircraft, equipped with the latest medical technologies, as well as a fleet of advanced life support (ALS) and critical-care ground ambulances. Notably, it is one of the few rotor-wing aeromedical programs in North Carolina certified for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), thus enabling it to operate under challenging weather conditions and ensuring consistent service delivery, regardless of environmental factors.
The DLF operates 24/7 year-round. Duke Life Flight is dedicated to transporting critically ill or injured patients of all ages—adults, pediatrics, and neonates. It provides fast, specialized medical care and facilitates rapid access to healthcare facilities, where time-sensitive medical interventions, specialized skills, and advanced resources are crucial for patient survival and recovery. Here is a video presentation of what it does.
But this columnist cautions kin, in-laws, and long-time and new friends who are fighting cancer or any major disease. The process of cure involves more than the supreme effort of “putting one foot ahead of the other, one step and then another, with grit and vision”, as so eloquently described by Dr. Shelley Hwang, M.D. It may also involve the ballroom dancing technique of “one step back and two steps forward,” the true grit of surviving dance contests, or defeating diseases.
Yes, cancer cures and other medical miracles sometimes have relapse episodes. It may be best to add the dancers’ routine to Dr. Hwang’s medical advice. For “it takes more than a village for medical miracles to happen”, as stated in this series Part VI published on February 8, 2026. Yes, it takes early detection, rapid medical intervention, lots of prayers, and now climbing skills and dance steps to reach the summit of conquering cancer and then thriving for decades more.
