A generous gift from his family has launched the Daniel F. Ludwig Patient Assistance Fund to help support those being treated at Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center.
A generous gift from his family has launched the Daniel F. Ludwig Patient Assistance Fund to help support those being treated at Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center.
Dan, as he was known by his friends and family, was treated for many years at the specialized center at the campus of Hackensack University Medical Center. The great care he received from Dr. James Wittig at John Theurer when first diagnosed with sarcoma saved Dan’s leg. The Ludwig family says Dan lived in relatively good health for nearly a decade afterward thanks to the care he received from doctors and team members at the center.
Dan’s Story
After facing the disease with courage and strength, Dan passed away in 2024 at the age of 61. A resident of Norwood and a financial executive at Stryker Corporation at the time of his death, Dan also loved spending time with his family, golfing, fishing and cheering on the Yankees.
How the Fund Honors Dan
Dan’s wife, Cindy, and his brother Ed Ludwig, seeded the fund with a generous gift. Ed, who is also a former trustee at the medical center, says the fund is a meaningful way to honor Dan's legacy.
“Danny was a great man, we’ll never forget him,” Ed said. “We felt very strongly about him and our commitment to the hospital.”
The fund is an endowment that will help patients for a long time at John Theurer, which currently has more than 21,000 patients (or guests) and averages more than 600 appointments each day. Patient assistance programs, like those funded in Dan’s memory, provide financial support for needs such as bridging the cost of medications, temporary housing, transportation and living expenses.
Dan was fortunate to have good insurance, said Cindy, and it is her hope that the fund can ease the burden for other patients who may be struggling. Cindy said the family’s experience with the staff and care at JTCC was very positive.
“No matter where you went in the hospital, everyone was so pleasant,” she said.
In addition to Cindy and Ed, Dan is survived by his son Joey and his wife Cheyanne, his daughter Danielle and three other siblings: Ann, Jimmy and Joe. This dedicated website for the Ludwig fund allows friends, family and others to honor Dan and help future cancer patients.
To learn more about supporting the John Theurer Cancer Center, visit GiveHMH.org/JTCC.
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