Pete Morris' life took an unexpected turn in January 2023 while he was driving to a team dinner with his leadership group. As he was parking his car, he suddenly had a grand mal seizure, waking up in an ambulance with no memory of the event. From his wife Carolynn’s perspective, the experience was equally jarring. She received a call about the incident and a FaceTime from one of Pete’s friends at the dinner, showing her the scene of the ambulance. Though Carolynn was an hour away, she immediately drove to the hospital, where Pete was taken.
That night, doctors performed a CT scan and suspected a mass in his upper right frontal lobe. However, the next day, nothing was visible, and Pete was sent home with a referral to a neurologist. After undergoing a 72-hour EEG, Pete was diagnosed with epilepsy. A follow-up MRI, however, revealed something more severe: glioblastoma. Their neurologist recommended immediate action, advising them to go straight to the ER for surgery. Within a week—on July 17, 2023—Pete underwent brain surgery, having lived with the glioblastoma for six months without knowing it.
Carolynn, who has a background in healthcare, did extensive research into treatment options and consulted a colleague who recommended Duke. They soon connected with Henry Friedman, MD, who guided them through their options, including additional tumor testing. Pete began standard of care treatment in his hometown, but Dr. Friedman later introduced them to an immunotherapy option through CeGat, a German company. This immunotherapy treatment involved monthly trips to Germany for custom vaccinations. During his first trip to Germany, he received eight shots, followed by four more the next month. He continued the treatment for two months, with no new tumor growth showing on his MRIs since stopping standard care.
Pete remains active despite his diagnosis, balancing fatherhood with his role as CEO of his company, PAC, which he has led since 2019. He maintains his health by walking five miles, with a 40 pound weighted vest, most mornings and following a Mediterranean diet. Reflecting on their first meeting with Duke, Pete and Carolynn were impressed by the comprehensive care and options presented to them. "They helped us understand the different facets of standard of care and also talked through other options with us," Carolynn shared. Duke provided them with a sense of optimism and professionalism they hadn’t experienced elsewhere. “It helped us see glioblastoma as a chronic condition instead of a death sentence,” she added.
In response to their journey, Pete and his family founded the Morizzo Foundation, dedicated to raising funds for research and supporting patients' access to care. Their first event, the Freedom Tour golf fundraiser, raised $150,000. The event, which brought together 63 attendees and over 110 donors, was organized in just three months, with all proceeds going to support the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke. Pete and Carolynn are immensely grateful to their foundation’s board and all the generous participants and donors, for making The Freedom Tour such a success.
As Pete looks toward the future, he remains hopeful. "Every step of this journey has been challenging, but I’m grateful for the continued support and the incredible advancements in treatment. We’re taking it one day at a time, and right now, life is good."