Dr. Margaret “Maggie” Cupit-Link’s journey into medicine started with a passion to learn, yet she soon understood her pediatric patients’ experiences all too well. She was diagnosed with cancer early in her acceptance to a rigorous research position at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
At the age of 19, Dr. Cupit-Link was a first-year pre-med student at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She had just applied and been accepted to a competitive summer research position at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, where she was one of the few freshmen selected.
She recalled the months leading up to the start of the summer program when she first noticed a pain in her leg, which she would discover was cancer. On the day she should have begun her research position, she walked into St. Jude as a patient. She says her experiences as a patient shaped her career. “I was so worried I was going to die, which was appropriate, but being around the kids, in the waiting rooms, and seeing their resilience – that really made me want to be that way. I quickly decided that if I lived, that was going to be my career,” recalls Dr. Cupit-Link.
It was shortly after this time that she met her husband. She recounted one of their early conversations about the possibility of having a family and explained that her fertility would be affected by her cancer treatment. “We knew we would end up needing to adopt one day, because I had gone through menopause [because of the treatments]. It was our plan to adopt eventually.”
Dr. Cupit-Link and her husband both pursued careers in health care. While her husband went on to dental school, she attended medical school at the Mayo Clinic. She then completed a pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship and master’s degree at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During her second-year fellowship, she noticed some odd symptoms. Her and her husband were thrilled to discover the cause of those symptoms – they were going to have a baby. Her daughter is now 10 months old, and she is expecting her second child (a boy) later this month.
Her experience with pediatric cancer and the long-lasting effects of treatment on her health and quality of life have driven her passion for pediatric oncology. Her research is on solid tumors and methods to prevent acute and long-term side effects. “When I thought I was infertile, it was emotionally traumatizing. I tried to pretend I didn’t care because I was a cancer survivor, and I was just so lucky to be alive. For a long time, I wouldn’t let myself have those feelings. I felt like I wasn’t allowed to be upset,” she explains. “When I did get pregnant, I was honest with myself about how much it meant. Now, I’m passionate about making sure my patients and their families are aware of the implications of chemotherapy, including the possibility of infertility.”
Dr. Cupit-Link emphasized that her choice to work at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital was also heavily influenced by the SSM Health Mission. “I feel like it is my spiritual calling to care for others as a pediatric oncologist,” she said, adding, “I believe I have an opportunity to let God’s love into the world through caring for patients and their families.”
She says that she has been thrilled to join SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital oncology team. “People here are so down to earth, kind, and humble. I think the culture of Glennon is unique in that it’s a very academic place and people are very good at what they do, but the attitude is just like we’re here to help people and we’re a family.”
