Barb Cohen

“We were a great team,” Barb Cohen noted as she spoke about her husband, David, who passed away from Pancreatic Cancer in 2019. In addition to raising their children, Leslie and Adam, they also worked together in David’s periodontal practice. As office manager, Barb was able to see his chairside manner first-hand.

“He was a great listener and wonderful with his patients,” Barb commented. “He was well respected by his colleagues who enjoyed working with him, and his patients loved him. He even had patients who drove in from Wisconsin because their dentists told them they had to go see ‘Dr. Cohen’.”

 

David’s Journey

An avid exerciser and basketball player, David lived a healthy lifestyle, watching his diet and staying active. In 2016, a sudden onset of acid reflux and stomach issues led to a series of doctor visits, until he was eventually diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. He was eligible for the Whipple procedure, which allowed him to go into remission for 16 months before the cancer returned. “The surgeon believed he had probably been walking around with a tumor for about two years before he was diagnosed,” Barb commented, “but up until that time, he had no symptoms.”

When David was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer the 5-year survival rate was only 3%. As a result, he chose not to disclose his exact diagnosis to anyone outside his immediate family other than to say that he had gastric cancer. “David knew that the minute he shared he had Pancreatic Cancer, everybody would look at him like he had no chance, and he needed them to look at him with hope,” Barb noted.

At the office, Barb could adjust David’s patient schedule to accommodate his chemotherapy treatments, and at home, she became his confidante and caregiver. “Pancreatic Cancer is a physical, mental, and emotional battle, and [not disclosing the specific type of cancer] was what he wanted and needed to be prepared to deal with the diagnosis – it was about what made life better for him.”

Before he passed away in 2019 at age 55, David saw his daughter Leslie graduate from dental school and be accepted into an orthodontic residency, met his future son-in-law, Ethan, and watched his son Adam receive his white coat in dental school. “I’m so grateful that he knew the kids decided to go into the same field as him; he was such a good role model and great dad,” Barb noted, adding that David died before he met his grandson, Dylan, who is named after him, and Taylor, his son’s fiancé.

 

Getting Involved in DASH

During COVID, the family formed a virtual team for DASH for Detection and has participated in person for the several years. Since David’s initials are “DMC”, his nickname in dental school was “Run” (after the band), so the team’s name – Run DMC – was an obvious choice. “There are endless times that we share stories about Dave, but DASH allows us to honor his memory in a non-somber way. It’s such a beautiful event, a joyous event, and the perfect way for us to always come together and remember.”

Rolfe Foundation’s focus on early detection research is why DASH for Detection is so important to Barb and her family. “This diagnosis can happen to a very healthy person. There’s nothing that David could have done to prevent it other than knowing that he had it, which is why I’m so thankful to be involved with Rolfe.”

Team Run DMC continues to grow their team and fundraising dollars by reaching out to an even broader circle of family, friends, and colleagues. “There’s a whole big community of people out there who still tell me stories and remember David, and I’d like to get them involved. It’s a way to remember the people we’ve lost and try to save the people who have been confronted with a diagnosis like this.

 

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