Nearly two years ago when I was thinking about starting brighthospital, I had a very clear vision in mind.   Work hard, create valuable products,  provide excellent customer service, help hospitals become very successful and work with an excellent group of like minded individuals who share this vision.  From day one, I hoped that one of these individuals would be my good friend and colleague, Todd Fertig.  Todd and I have known each other for nearly twenty years.  We worked together at PeriOptimum and crafted the initial service / products together.   We had fun, we worked hard, we made a lot of mistakes and we created together.  It was some of the best years of my life.  Needless to say, I was very much looking forward to same in brighthospital.  Who wouldn't? 

And my wishes became true.  Timing was good.  Todd was starting a new product himself and we were both in the groove.  Helping each other, having long talks about entrepreneurship, healthcare, creating new companies, and all the challenges that came with it.  And of course our co-hobby, wine making.  Life was going to be great.  

Until, one night in June, I was out at dinner and got a phone call from Todd.  I thought, strange, he would not call me at this time. He has three kids to get into bed.  And he gave me the news that shattered all of our lives: He had pancreatic cancer.  Neither of us could believe what he was saying.  

And barely 6 weeks later, on July 31, 2014, Todd passed away at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital.  Until the last moment, he touched all of our lives with his passion and zest for life.  

Todd will always be in my thoughts.  He was meant to be a part of this.  We were supposed to create things together.  Brighthospital and SkyGel were meant to be our prime time together.   None of this will be same without him.  

You can help out as well to eradicate cancer.  Please consider donating to Lustgarten Foundation.

And brighthospital will donate a portion of profits every year to the education of Fertig kids, Ellis, Wyeth and Owen.   If you would like to contribute, please let me know, I will arrange all the details. 

I love you, my brother and I miss you.   Hope you are watching over us wherever you are.  Have a glass of wine for me.  

Hakan