Cancer survivor explains why he donated a brass bell to an oncology center

MINEOLA, N.Y. (FOX 5 NY) - A Long Island man marked the end of his cancer treatments by ringing a newly installed bell, which he donated, at NYU Winthrop Hospital on Friday.

Peter Foreman, a businessman and a trustee for the Village of Sands Point, said he wants the sailor's bell to inspire other cancer patients at the Oncology/Hematology Infusion Center.

When a patient finishes a course of treatment, they can ring the bell, too. It is a way for the patient to mark the milestone and the staff to feel proud, he said.

Foreman had the brass bell inscribed with: "Ring this bell, three times well, to celebrate this day. This course is run, my treatment done; now I am on my way."

He referred to the staff at NYU Winthrop as "angels" and said he was thankful for their medical care.

"I'm filled with gratitude," Foreman said. "The challenge that I have every day is holding on to that gratitude."

Foreman was treated for a type of leukemia. After eight months of treatments, he is now cancer-free.

Just before ringing the bell, Foreman appealed to the public.

"Don't just donate blood, donate platelets," he said. "We need that, too."