Uihlein family swings for MD Anderson

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Jamie Uihlein simply knew.

No matter what the doctors said, the spot at the back of his tongue was cancer — even if he didn’t want to admit it.

And more than six months after his initial doctor’s visit and many subsequent ones, Uihlein received the diagnosis he knew one day would come — tongue cancer.

“I had a very strong feeling (about it),” Uihlein said. “I knew what it was.”

Although Uihlein was ready to undergo treatment locally, he heeded the advice of his wife, Mary, and other family and friends, and the couple headed to Texas, where Jamie spent six weeks in treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the No. 1 cancer center in the nation.

Six years later, Uihlein’s gratitude for the center and doctors who saved his life has not wavered.

He and Mary, along with their son, James, and daughter-in-law, hosted the inaugural Polo Under the Palms fundraiser for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center March 12 at the Sarasota Polo Club (click here to see our gallery). The day’s festivities started off with a special educational symposium and were followed by a top-rated polo match and dinner and music at the polo grounds.

The event, inspired by a similar Polo on the Prairie fundraiser in Texas, was the highest rated polo match (16-goal) ever played at the Sarasota Polo Club to date, organizers said.

“It’s the only way — maybe the best way — to give back to a group like MD Anderson and the doctors working to (save our lives),” Jamie Uihlein said during the match. “They work tirelessly. It’s important that everybody that can dig deep. It’s not only important for you, but for everybody that will ever get care.”

MD Anderson has treated more than 800,000 patients for cancer in the form of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and others since its establishment in 1944. The center opened a facility in Orlando in 1991.

Representatives of MD Anderson who attended the festivities said events such as Polo Under the Palms are integral to the hospital’s continued success.

“The philanthropy is very important for research, especially when other sources are scarce,” said MD Anderson physician Dr. John Mendelsohn, noting about one-third of cancer patients do not respond to more traditional treatments. “But the main thing is just letting people know we are available to help.”

MD Anderson Program Manager Sarah Watson agreed.

“We are so grateful for the support of people like these who give of their time and financial resources,” she said.

Although Jamie Uihlein has no problem saying his time at MD Anderson was the “worst time of my life — times three,” he also is quick to point out the facility and the doctors have his utmost respect. Although treatments and their aftermath were painful and grueling, the doctors and staff there gave him the confidence he needed to fight for his life.

“I had something to hang on to,” he said. “I knew they were going to save me.”

His wife also praised the facility and its professionalism.

“It’s an incredible facility,” Mary Uihlein said. “We were very appreciative of MD Anderson and it’s compassion and expertise. It’s just an amazing place.”

The Uihleins hope to host Polo Under the Palms again next year.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

DIAGNOSIS
A longtime snuff user, Jamie Uihlein suspected something was wrong when he began experiencing pain and soreness at a specific spot on the back of his tongue six years ago. His doctors put him on a variety of medications, including one that has since been taken off the market, as a possible solution to the problem.
Six months after his initial checkup, he went back and demanded a biopsy. The results proved Uihlein’s hunch was right — tongue cancer.

LEADING THE NATION
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For seven of the past nine years, including 2010, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “America’s Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
— The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center