As night falls on Thursday, December 3, at 5:30 pm, we invite you to the Tree of Hope Lighting Ceremony, where we will walk through glowing luminaries marking our path from the Duke Cancer Center to the nearby Garden of Tranquility. There, we will gather around a sparkling holly tree that symbolizes our dreams of a cancer-free future for all.

Hosted by the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program, the free event is open to the public, though we encourage registration through the link below.

Before the garden ceremony, Steve Motter, a pancreatic cancer survivor, will address the attendees from the lobby of the Cancer Center. Motter will be joined on stage by his wife, Jayme, and their children, Elizabeth and James.

Those gathering around the tree will include survivors, families, friends, nurses, advanced practice providers, support professionals, physicians, and volunteers. Many of them will enjoy seeing their names, and the names of those they care about, inscribed on the luminaries that wind around the garden. The lights serve as small tokens of gratitude for care and support.

For Motter, Thoughts of Hope Didn’t Always Come Easily

At one point during his cancer treatment, Motter’s side effects became so painful that he struggled to explain to his family how badly he felt.

To help them understand, he made short videos documenting the realities of chemotherapy. One featured him cracking an egg and finding that the simple task felt “like knives in my fingers,” he said. In another video, he winced while opening a yogurt container.

He also found it difficult to get through a single day without thinking about his cancer.

But then, in the middle of his battle to stay alive, his team offered him an experimental targeted therapy that had a dramatic impact on his cancer and his pain.

“Two days after I started taking it, my pain disappeared. I wrote ‘miracle pills’ on the bottle,” he said.

Motter to Speak about Ups and Downs of his Cancer Experience

Now that he is on a path toward healing, Motter says he feels ready to speak about the people and supportive programs that carried him through this difficult passage in his life. Those people include his medical oncologist, nurse navigator, medical family therapist, nutritionist, and the many people he met in support groups who are also surviving cancer.

The Tree of Hope Lighting Ceremony is part of a longstanding Duke Cancer Institute tradition centered on remembrance, gratitude, and hope. Luminaries bearing names or personal messages honor loved ones, recognize care teams and remember those who are no longer here. Proceeds from luminary lights and tribute cards help fund free support services for patients and families.