Catalyst
Committed to the Cause
Arthur Ochoa, JD, senior vice president, Advancement, and chief advancement officer, Cedars-Sinai, with Ann Petersen and Leslie Pam, PhD.
When he decides to do something, Leslie Pam, PhD, maps out a vision and a trajectory. “It’s important to me to have a goal,” he said “because I believe things worth accomplishing take time, and they won’t get done if I don’t have a plan.”
One of Pam's plans was recently fulfilled. In 1984, he and his wife, Ann Petersen—both therapists—set out to donate $1 million to Cedars-Sinai. It was a concrete objective with a long-term horizon. They felt strongly about supporting the medical center but had limited means and knew the process would take years to complete. Nearly four decades later, they achieved their objective—a testament, Pam said to “the power of a small donor to make a big difference.”
Their quest first took shape on the heels of Petersen's mother receiving a devastating medical diagnosis. “We discovered she had a brain tumor and only had about six months to live,” Petersen said. “Cedars-Sinai is the only place we would trust to care for her, and the doctors were so magnificent. We were extremely grateful.”
To show their appreciation, the couple decided they would make a $1 million gift using funds from the Esper A. Petersen Foundation, a charitable foundation started by Petersen's late father. “He came to the United States as a Danish immigrant, and when he was successful, he felt strongly about giving back to the country that had helped make it possible,” she said.
“You don’t need to make a big splash or sit at a certain table to be effective. You just need to show up every year and do what you can do. If you stick it out, you can accomplish anything.”
Through the foundation, they gave what they could, always with an eye toward hitting their $1 million target. In the meantime, as they grew older, they found themselves relying on Cedars-Sinai for their own care.
“When I was 60, I had a stage 4 cancer, an autoimmune disease and pneumonia, all at the same time,” Pam said. “But, even with all those things going on at once, as soon as I walked into Cedars-Sinai, I knew I was going to be fine.”
That was 20 years ago, and Pam's premonition turned out to be right. Today, he and Petersen are as energetic as ever. They run separate therapy practices, are involved in numerous charitable causes and are preparing to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
Their philanthropy at Cedars-Sinai has touched many areas of scientific inquiry across the medical center. Recently, they have focused their donations on advancing studies into the effects of diet on inflammatory diseases. “I’ve learned that what I eat and how I live my life has an enormous influence on my autoimmune disease,” Pam said. “I think furthering this research could be beneficial for anyone suffering from an autoimmune illness.”
As they consider the significance of having contributed $1 million to Cedars-Sinai, the couple offers advice to other would-be donors who may question whether their gifts can have a real impact: “You don’t need to make a big splash or sit at a certain table to be effective,” Pam said. “You just need to show up every year and do what you can do. If you stick it out, you can accomplish anything.”
