Published: February 3, 2026
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
When it comes to fighting cancer, the quality of life left in a person’s years is just as important as the number of years left in their life. That belief became especially meaningful for Chris Campbell and his wife, Heather Gilchrist Campbell, after Chris received his second lung cancer diagnosis.
No one understood this more than Don A. Stevens, M.D., hematologist/oncologist with Norton Cancer Institute.
“I think it’s very important in every aspect of medicine that we treat the patient, not the disease,” Dr. Stevens said.
In honor of Dr. Stevens and the exemplary, compassionate care he provided for Chris, Heather and her daughters, Amelia and Colleen, made a gift to Norton Cancer Institute to fund the purchase of a new laboratory machine used for next‑generation sequencing. It’s technology that reads genetic code in tumor or blood samples. Unlike prior workflows where the sampling had to be sent out for analysis that could take weeks, having the ability on-site allows for results withing days.
“Chris loved holidays and gift-giving,” Heather said. “And giving a gift of more time and a faster diagnosis is a life‑changing opportunity, so he would have wanted to provide Dr. Stevens with the tools to make that happen for more families.”
The family asked Dr. Stevens how they could best support cancer treatment. One of the most significant advancements that benefited Chris during his care was molecular pathology, which allowed him to receive medications that were more targeted and less toxic for him specifically, according to Dr. Stevens. With this new technology, now more patients locally will benefit from similar treatment — and receive it faster.
“I’m incredibly flattered, and I think it is a wonderful thing they have done,” Dr. Stevens said. “It will have an impact on many patients for years to come.”
Providing patients with access to targeted therapy is key to effective cancer care — and that is the gift that continues to give time and life back to patients. With the Ion Torrent Genexus System, Dr. Stevens and the care team can outline a highly specific treatment plan. The system is housed in CPA Lab’s Genomics Lab . Dr. Stevens works closely with the pathologists through the process.
“The sequencing platform automates key steps in the process of identifying genetic mutations in cancer,” Dr. Stevens said. “Once identified, a treatment plan targeting specific mutations with specific medication can be deployed. The wait time was typically weeks to months to get these results; now we can complete the test within our own lab the same day and can develop a plan much quicker.”
Chris’ care plan of targeted therapy was a success and gave him more time with the people he cherished doing the things he enjoyed. Heather believes it was Dr. Stevens’ personalized care that helped extend Chris’ life and helped him continue doing the things he loved for as long as possible until he died in 2023.
Chris, who was a Yum Brands executive, didn’t want to know all the details of his prognosis or potential treatment side effects, according to Heather. Instead, he wanted to spend time with family and friends, travel, work and play golf.
Dr. Stevens listened to Chris’ wishes, got to know him and collaborated with Chris and Heather to individualize his treatment protocols, timing and communication. At the Campbells’ request, Dr. Stevens shared potential treatment side effects only with Heather.
“Chris even got to take a cruise with a friend who was also battling cancer,” Heather said. “It was just two cancer patients and their spouses cruising together, and it was really special. At that stage, many cancer patients wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling, but because of Dr. Stevens, we felt confident enough to go and keep living the life we wanted.”
According to Dr. Stevens, the balance is to select treatment options that align with each patient’s individual goals.
“There are always options and choices,” he said. “Part of my job is to explain what each option involves in terms of time commitment and side effects, then help patients choose what is best for them. Mr. Campbell had a wonderful, loving, supportive family, and he made every effort to spend as much time with them as he could. That is an incredible testament to the love this family has.”
Lynnie Meyer, R.N., Ed.D., FAHP, CFRE, senior vice president and chief development officer, Norton Healthcare, said she is deeply grateful to Heather and her family for their generous gift in honor of Dr. Stevens.
“When donors like Heather and her daughters choose to honor compassionate care, they help ensure future patients receive not just advanced treatment, but care that truly reflects who they are and how they want to live,” Lynnie said.