Peggy's Story
When a tough case of double pneumonia turned into a surprise ovarian cancer diagnosis, Peggy became the first patient in Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to benefit from a breakthrough in medical technology.
In February 2025, Peggy was experiencing symptoms of pneumonia. She went to her doctor in the Copper Country of Michigan with a library book in hand, and she was sent straight from that appointment to a local hospital.
Because of the difficulty in isolating the virus, Peggy was soon airlifted to the nearest hospital that had a room and resources to treat her severe case of double pneumonia: HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay. The doctors ran multiple tests, and through an incidental finding, discovered that Peggy had a cancerous tumor in her ovary.
Top-of-the-line cancer treatment
Following this diagnosis, Peggy and her daughters, Jess and Bree, were introduced to Dr. Erin Stevens, a Prevea Gynecologic Oncologist based at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital.
“Dr. Stevens was prepared and prudent,” shared Peggy. “I trusted her straight-forward approach. She earned my confidence and really justified it every step of the way.”
When it came time for Dr. Stevens to remove the cancer surgically, she told Peggy about a new technology— a dye called CYTALUX that illuminates cancerous cells in real time during surgery. This dye would ensure Dr. Stevens could see and remove any residual cancerous cells that might be missed by the naked eye.
“This miracle drug made it possible for Dr. Stevens to make the unseen seen,” shared Peggy. “All praise goes to Dr. Stevens, the CYTALUX manufacturer and every member on my care team for making this possible.”
“The utmost compassionate care”
During the surgery, Jess remembers waiting anxiously with her sister for an update. She felt so relieved when Dr. Stevens came in to talk to them, visibly excited. Dr. Stevens showed them the before and after pictures with the CYTALUX, showing that every bit of their mom’s cancer had successfully been removed.
“It was so reassuring to see the after-photos, and to see that Dr. Stevens was able to remove any remaining cancer. Nothing lit up,” shared Jess. “It still makes me cry to think about it. It was absolutely incredible!”
Peggy feels that Dr. Stevens used “God’s hands” to heal her, and she still can’t believe all the people that came together to care for her throughout this experience.
“I felt like some visiting dignitary,” shared Peggy. “Every member of the hospital staff treated me with the utmost compassionate care.”
Feelings toward medical advancements
Peggy prefers to keep her medical history private, but she felt she had a personal obligation to share her extraordinary experience with Dr. Stevens, CYTALUX and every member of her care team.
Peggy’s advice to any other patient faced with something like this is to “pray; utilize every medical advancement that is available; and if you fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
Additionally, Peggy was happy to report that she was able to return her library book without a fine!
In February 2025, Peggy was experiencing symptoms of pneumonia. She went to her doctor in the Copper Country of Michigan with a library book in hand, and she was sent straight from that appointment to a local hospital.
Because of the difficulty in isolating the virus, Peggy was soon airlifted to the nearest hospital that had a room and resources to treat her severe case of double pneumonia: HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay. The doctors ran multiple tests, and through an incidental finding, discovered that Peggy had a cancerous tumor in her ovary.
Top-of-the-line cancer treatment
Following this diagnosis, Peggy and her daughters, Jess and Bree, were introduced to Dr. Erin Stevens, a Prevea Gynecologic Oncologist based at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital.
“Dr. Stevens was prepared and prudent,” shared Peggy. “I trusted her straight-forward approach. She earned my confidence and really justified it every step of the way.”
When it came time for Dr. Stevens to remove the cancer surgically, she told Peggy about a new technology— a dye called CYTALUX that illuminates cancerous cells in real time during surgery. This dye would ensure Dr. Stevens could see and remove any residual cancerous cells that might be missed by the naked eye.
“This miracle drug made it possible for Dr. Stevens to make the unseen seen,” shared Peggy. “All praise goes to Dr. Stevens, the CYTALUX manufacturer and every member on my care team for making this possible.”
“The utmost compassionate care”
During the surgery, Jess remembers waiting anxiously with her sister for an update. She felt so relieved when Dr. Stevens came in to talk to them, visibly excited. Dr. Stevens showed them the before and after pictures with the CYTALUX, showing that every bit of their mom’s cancer had successfully been removed.
“It was so reassuring to see the after-photos, and to see that Dr. Stevens was able to remove any remaining cancer. Nothing lit up,” shared Jess. “It still makes me cry to think about it. It was absolutely incredible!”
Peggy feels that Dr. Stevens used “God’s hands” to heal her, and she still can’t believe all the people that came together to care for her throughout this experience.
“I felt like some visiting dignitary,” shared Peggy. “Every member of the hospital staff treated me with the utmost compassionate care.”
Feelings toward medical advancements
Peggy prefers to keep her medical history private, but she felt she had a personal obligation to share her extraordinary experience with Dr. Stevens, CYTALUX and every member of her care team.
Peggy’s advice to any other patient faced with something like this is to “pray; utilize every medical advancement that is available; and if you fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
Additionally, Peggy was happy to report that she was able to return her library book without a fine!