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August 2024 marked a milestone for Jackie and John Ensor — 50 years of marriage — and they planned to celebrate their golden anniversary with a European cruise. Weeks before their trip, Jackie began having stomach pain and was admitted to the hospital. Then came a moment of disbelief: she had pancreatic cancer.
The Ensors cancelled their cruise and started navigating Jackie’s cancer diagnosis. Jackie met with a team of doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital to develop a treatment plan. One of those doctors was William Burns III, MD, surgeon in the Division of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology and assistant professor of surgery at the School of Medicine.
“Dr. Burns gave me hope. He told me, ‘this is treatable and we’ve had lots of success,’” shares Jackie. “My family and I walked away thinking, I might be able to survive this.”
Today, Jackie is healthy. She credits Burns and Johns Hopkins with her successful outcome but notes it has been a long, challenging recovery. She received several rounds of chemotherapy at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland, and underwent surgery led by Burns to remove the cancerous mass.
“Everyone at Green Spring Station was wonderful. After eight rounds of chemo, I was ready to get that tumor out,” says Jackie. “Dr. Burns made me feel comfortable. He talked with my husband and sons. He took the time to answer all of our questions. He even drew out the surgery procedure on a piece of hospital tissue paper.”
Unbeknownst to Jackie, her husband John saved the drawing. He even took it out in the waiting room after Jackie’s December surgery and had Burns mark in red where he made the incisions.
On Christmas day, Jackie received some surprising gifts.
“My husband gave me a canvas bag, mug, and a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle all with the surgical drawing. Quite unique,” she says with a chuckle. “I collect bears, and he also gave me a bear named ‘Willburn’ after Dr. Burns.”
Willburn has accompanied Jackie to her appointments — even meeting Burns and his team.
“I was touched by ‘Willburn’ the bear. It reminds me that my role is greater than just guiding medical care or performing cancer operations,” says Burns. “I partner with patients and their families. I’m invested in their future and look forward to learning about this bear’s adventures in the years ahead.”
To show their immense gratitude, the Ensors made a generous contribution to the Johns Hopkins William Burns, MD, Gift Fund. Burns is planning to use the gift to help advance his research to improve cure rates with pancreatic cancer patients who undergo surgery. He underscores how funding is the lifeblood of academic research.
“This gift allows us to pursue projects aimed at improving the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer. It can support work to answer important clinical questions or serve as the foundation for therapeutic discoveries from larger grants,” says Burns. “I am thankful for gifts like this one. They help ground our research through impact on the lives of patients and their families. There are many ups and downs along the road to discovering medical breakthroughs, but this type of support energizes our team.”
Jackie feels fortunate that the work Burns is doing in pancreatic cancer will not only benefit her, but others down the line. “I’d lead a parade for Dr. Burns. He’s wonderful,” she says.
Jackie’s “Ring the Bell” day — signifying the end of her chemotherapy treatment — was on May 9, 2025. She continues to meet with Burns and his team regularly for checkups.
And this past summer, the Ensors celebrated 51 years of marriage. “We went on our cruise in August,” says Jackie. “Life is good.”
Topics: Faculty and Staff, Friends of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Kimmel Cancer Center, Surgery, Promote and Protect Health