By Sarah Chun

There is the proverbial saying “Everything happens for a reason.” If one person can be living proof, it’s Peter Waweru, clinical trials specialist within Duke’s Clinical Anesthesiology Research Endeavors (CARE) program.

His brightly lit lab space offers a stark contrast to his small African farm where he lived until the summer of 2002, complete with a few cows and vibrant crop of vegetables. But more dramatic is the pivotal role he has played in bringing community involvement into the Duke DREAM Campaign (Developing Research Excellence in Anesthesia Management), by both faith and determined effort.

Waweru’s journey to Duke began five years ago and more than 7,500 miles away in his native Kenya, where his family was selected in the Diversity Visa lottery program. Sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the visa provides permanent-resident status to winning immigrants who meet a list of criteria. Among them, completion of high school or two years’ work experience is required. As a high-school teacher of agriculture, biology and English, Waweru was a prime candidate to pursue the American dream, if perhaps a bit unprepared.

“The common belief [among applicants] is that once you win the lottery, there’s a job waiting for you, that they provide a place to live and everything is taken care of,” says Waweru, 43 with a rueful smile, “but that turned out not to be the case. Nevertheless, my faith in God kept me strong and hopeful.”

On Foreign Soil, a New Start
Before his arrival with his wife and two pre-teen sons, Waweru decided on Durham as their destination. The choice was based on the advice of a former co-worker from Kenya who had moved to Durham two years before, and whose brother was a graduate student at Duke.

“I had heard of Durham and it being close to Research Triangle Park, so I knew there were many opportunities,” he says.

In addition to his teaching skills, Waweru was counting upon his experience in agro-forestry and interest in plant grafting to be applicable in a research setting. But being able to put his specialized knowledge to practice was delayed as he had immediate concerns of supporting his family. This most urgent matter led to a detour behind the seafood counter at a grocery store, where it soon drove his next career move: he met his future boss’s wife, a frequent store customer.

“I developed a very good friendship with Mrs. Mathew,” he says. “I told her about my experiences; she was interested in where I was from and why I came.”

Mrs. Mathew learned that Waweru was pursing an associate’s degree in clinical research at night. A passing exchange with her husband, Joseph Mathew, M.D., division chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology and medical director of CARE, led to the next step in Waweru’s journey.

From his wife’s recommendation, Dr. Mathew discerned strong qualities in Waweru. “He’s very humble, very hardworking,” says Dr. Mathew.

He invited Waweru to interview for a research position and three weeks later offered him a position as a technician in the CARE group.

A Call and an Answer
The events leading up to his career at Duke were yet another journey for Waweru and his family. Upon arriving in Durham, they were able to secure housing across from the Medical Center campus at the site of the Methodist Retirement Home on Erwin Road through St. Mark’s Anglican Church. The property was under redevelopment by Anthony & Co., a local commercial real-estate company.

St. Mark’s Church had formerly held services in an old church building on the property and Anthony & Co. and St. Mark’s discovered they had similar missions for serving the community around them. Until construction started, Anthony & Co. and St. Mark’s collaborated to sponsor housing on the property for numerous immigrant families. Bud Doughton, one of the investor-owners and a developer of Lakeview forged an immediate friendship and camaraderie with Waweru.

“We relied on our relationship with St. Mark’s Anglican Church, through Jack Markham, who is our attorney for the Lakeview development,” said Doughton, “and Jack brought Peter to us at the perfect time since we needed someone on the property to handle security, property management and groundskeeping.”

“I had made one of my first friends in the United States,” Waweru says of Doughton. “My wife, Gladwell, and I will forever be grateful to Bud for his generosity and kindness. He is also a good friend and mentor to my two sons, Wilson and Kelvin.”

Helping a Dream Come True
As their friendship deepened, Waweru delved into his work at Duke and soon learned of his department’s plans to launch a critical fundraising drive in support of anesthesia management research, and in particular, developing methods to protect the brain and other organs during surgery and general anesthesia.

“Across the board it’s becoming difficult to fund important projects,” says Mark Newman, M.D., chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. “Two years ago, the rate of funding was between 22 to 25 percent. Now it’s barely around 10 percent.”

The DREAM campaign was developed under Dr. Mathew’s and Newman’s leadership to address the recent trends in diminishing support and to enable researchers to continue their important work without interruption.

Waweru introduced the DREAM campaign director, Elizabeth Perez, to Bud Doughton. Soon, Anthony & Co. signed on as a founding sponsor for the DREAM campaign.

“It has been our goal since the day we acquired the [Erwin Road] property to find ways to serve the community through our efforts here.” said Catherine Miller, president of Anthony & Co. “Through Peter we found a way to extend beyond these property lines by becoming involved in the DREAM campaign. If it had not been for Peter, we may not have learned the compelling story of how so many lives are affected daily by general anesthesia. We are certain that the researchers are on the verge of a breakthrough,” says Miller.

Similar Goals, Similar Dreams
“I consider it a high-value research project; where the goals of Anthony & Co. and Duke align. Our corporate motto is ‘Transforming communities,’ and that can easily be connected to Duke’s role in transforming lives,” says Jim Anthony, founder and CEO of Anthony & Co. “And at a personal level, you never know when you or a family member may benefit from the results of this research.”

“It’s a long-term mission,” says Dr. Mathew. “But already Anthony & Co. has been incredibly supportive by introducing us to their corporate partners and making practical suggestions to meet our goals. It’s their contribution of time and services, beyond just the finances, which has made this an invaluable relationship.”

Waweru’s initiative and Anthony & Co.’s support will lead to the official Duke DREAM Campaign kickoff at Lakeview later in 2007, completing a full circle of community involvement at the personal, academic and business levels.

“Peter and the Anthony & Co. team have been clear champions for the cause and real partners in bringing people together,” says Newman.

“Peter is the best example of the culture at Duke, trying every day to get better at what we do and ultimately improving everyday patient care.”