Man Honors Late Wife's Cancer Journey By Helping Others
The day Michael Gordon sat down to talk about his late wife, Ronda, would have been their 32nd wedding anniversary.
“This was the day,” Michael said.
He had not planned it that way. The date simply landed where it did, adding more meaning to a story already shaped by love, loss and promises kept.
Nearly 11 years after Ronda’s passing, Michael still wears the same breast cancer support bracelet in her memory. It has never broken, but he has replacements ready, just in case.
It is a daily reminder of the woman he describes as spunky and fun.
“She was the life of the party,” Michael said. “It was her personality that I liked most.”
Ronda was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2007. What followed was eight years of treatment, recovery, setbacks and resilience. She had reconstructive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. She endured complications and repeated hospital stays. After a period of improvement, the cancer returned. A fall from a treadmill caused a broken rib, which led doctors to discover the cancer had spread to her bones.
It was in both pelvic bones, both rib cages and along her back. Eventually, it spread to her liver.
Through it all, Ronda carried herself the way she wanted her family to carry themselves after she was gone.
“She said, ‘I dealt with this disease for the last eight years with class and pride and dignity,’” Michael remembered. “When you go to my funeral, you treat it with respect, and you handle it with class and pride and dignity, too.”
Michael speaks about those years with a perspective formed by acceptance.
“It’s always nice when you see good outcomes,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It’s just the way life is. You have to take it with a grain of salt and do the best you can.”
Through dozens of visits and many hard days, the Charles and Mimi Osborn Cancer Center at Baptist Health Louisville became a central part of Ronda’s journey. Michael remembers the physicians who cared for her, especially Michael Kommer, MD, a family friend who had also treated his sister and brother-in-law before Ronda.
“He’s a saint,” Michael said. “He’s as good as they come.”
He also remembers the reassurance of knowing they were in the right place. At one point, Ronda and Michael traveled to Houston for a second opinion. The recommendation there was the same as the care plan already in place at home.
“That was just another vote of, you know, we’re in the right place with the right people,” Michael said. “When you have a health issue, this is one less thing you have to worry about. You know you’re going to deal with people that are compassionate and understand your situation. I think it made it a lot easier to handle.”
Before Ronda passed, she made sure Michael understood something important. In the direct, spirited way he admired, she told him she wanted Baptist Health Louisville to be part of their giving.
“She said, ‘Half of its mine, so I want you to take care of Baptist,’” he laughed. “That’s what we did.”
Over the years, Michael’s support has included resources such as wigs and other items that offer comfort during cancer treatment. Outside the cancer center, an aluminum bench stands in Ronda’s memory, chosen to last for decades.
His giving has also continued to take on new meaning with the encouragement of his wife, Angela. She has embraced the importance of his connection to Baptist Health Louisville and encouraged him to keep finding new ways to get involved, like helping patients get to and from vital cancer appointments.
“She was actually the one who suggested the rideshare program,” Michael said. “She saw a need and knew it was something we could do something about.”
In every gift, there’s a sense of tribute – for his sister and for his brother-in-law. For his father who served at the cancer center's volunteer desk for 15 years. For the woman who faced cancer with strength and expected those who loved her to keep living and helping others.
“She had lots of conversations with me about life going on,” Michael shared. “She reminded me I had a lot to give.”
Ronda had a bucket list during the eight years she lived with cancer. They traveled and made memories with their children. The treatment and support they received from their care team gave them time, and they filled it.
“She had no bucket list left,” he said.
It is why Michael can now reflect and feel peace. His son once told him that Ronda’s passing was not the end, but the beginning of something different. Michael has carried that with him. His life did continue, just as Ronda hoped it would, bringing new happiness, companionship, and reasons to keep giving.
A final promise between husband and wife has become a lasting memorial, strengthened by the people who have encouraged Michael to carry it forward. It is one he remains committed to honoring in the years ahead.
“We will do whatever we can to help,” he said. “We always will.”
“This was the day,” Michael said.
He had not planned it that way. The date simply landed where it did, adding more meaning to a story already shaped by love, loss and promises kept.
Nearly 11 years after Ronda’s passing, Michael still wears the same breast cancer support bracelet in her memory. It has never broken, but he has replacements ready, just in case.
It is a daily reminder of the woman he describes as spunky and fun.
“She was the life of the party,” Michael said. “It was her personality that I liked most.”
Ronda was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2007. What followed was eight years of treatment, recovery, setbacks and resilience. She had reconstructive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. She endured complications and repeated hospital stays. After a period of improvement, the cancer returned. A fall from a treadmill caused a broken rib, which led doctors to discover the cancer had spread to her bones.
It was in both pelvic bones, both rib cages and along her back. Eventually, it spread to her liver.
Through it all, Ronda carried herself the way she wanted her family to carry themselves after she was gone.
“She said, ‘I dealt with this disease for the last eight years with class and pride and dignity,’” Michael remembered. “When you go to my funeral, you treat it with respect, and you handle it with class and pride and dignity, too.”
Michael speaks about those years with a perspective formed by acceptance.
“It’s always nice when you see good outcomes,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It’s just the way life is. You have to take it with a grain of salt and do the best you can.”
Through dozens of visits and many hard days, the Charles and Mimi Osborn Cancer Center at Baptist Health Louisville became a central part of Ronda’s journey. Michael remembers the physicians who cared for her, especially Michael Kommer, MD, a family friend who had also treated his sister and brother-in-law before Ronda.
“He’s a saint,” Michael said. “He’s as good as they come.”
He also remembers the reassurance of knowing they were in the right place. At one point, Ronda and Michael traveled to Houston for a second opinion. The recommendation there was the same as the care plan already in place at home.
“That was just another vote of, you know, we’re in the right place with the right people,” Michael said. “When you have a health issue, this is one less thing you have to worry about. You know you’re going to deal with people that are compassionate and understand your situation. I think it made it a lot easier to handle.”
Before Ronda passed, she made sure Michael understood something important. In the direct, spirited way he admired, she told him she wanted Baptist Health Louisville to be part of their giving.
“She said, ‘Half of its mine, so I want you to take care of Baptist,’” he laughed. “That’s what we did.”
Over the years, Michael’s support has included resources such as wigs and other items that offer comfort during cancer treatment. Outside the cancer center, an aluminum bench stands in Ronda’s memory, chosen to last for decades.
His giving has also continued to take on new meaning with the encouragement of his wife, Angela. She has embraced the importance of his connection to Baptist Health Louisville and encouraged him to keep finding new ways to get involved, like helping patients get to and from vital cancer appointments.
“She was actually the one who suggested the rideshare program,” Michael said. “She saw a need and knew it was something we could do something about.”
In every gift, there’s a sense of tribute – for his sister and for his brother-in-law. For his father who served at the cancer center's volunteer desk for 15 years. For the woman who faced cancer with strength and expected those who loved her to keep living and helping others.
“She had lots of conversations with me about life going on,” Michael shared. “She reminded me I had a lot to give.”
Ronda had a bucket list during the eight years she lived with cancer. They traveled and made memories with their children. The treatment and support they received from their care team gave them time, and they filled it.
“She had no bucket list left,” he said.
It is why Michael can now reflect and feel peace. His son once told him that Ronda’s passing was not the end, but the beginning of something different. Michael has carried that with him. His life did continue, just as Ronda hoped it would, bringing new happiness, companionship, and reasons to keep giving.
A final promise between husband and wife has become a lasting memorial, strengthened by the people who have encouraged Michael to carry it forward. It is one he remains committed to honoring in the years ahead.
“We will do whatever we can to help,” he said. “We always will.”
The Dawn of a Healthier Tomorrow
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