For Peggy Bertorelli, family has always come first. The 77-year-old has devoted her life to loving and caring for her husband, three children and their spouses, and her eight grandchildren. Recent years have brought heartbreaking changes to her family: the loss of her son, Andrew, following a brief illness in 2021 and her husband, David, in 2024.
More than 20 years ago, she nearly lost her daughter, Cristina. Through that ordeal, she met Geno J. Merli, MD. Dr. Merli, who is now celebrating 50 years of service at Jefferson Health, quickly became an honorary member of the Bertorelli clan.
In December 2003 – just weeks before Cristina’s wedding – severe blood clots in her abdomen prompted the family to seek emergency treatment at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Bertorelli, a retired school nurse who lives in Lincroft, NJ, recalls the feelings of overwhelming fear as they navigated Cristina’s condition, which required them to reschedule her wedding.
Bertorelli still vividly remembers Dr. Merli’s role in leading the team that helped Cristina make a full recovery. She appreciates the expert clinical care that was pivotal to restoring Cristina’s health. But she’s equally grateful for Dr. Merli’s compassion, which she says was a source of strength and hope for the entire family.
“We met Dr. Merli by chance, and it was instant comfort,” Bertorelli says. “We felt like he truly cared about Cristina.”
On Christmas Eve, Bertorelli’s late husband reached out to Dr. Merli for moral support: “He talked to my husband on the phone for 40 minutes to help get him back on track,” she says. “I will never forget that.”
Over the past 20 years, she has expressed the family’s gratitude by making an annual gift to honor Dr. Merli and support his work in vascular medicine.
“No matter what your career, you have to exude compassion,” she reflects. “It’s something Dr. Merli would have even if he worked at a deli counter. He’s a great doctor but an even better human being.”
Someday soon, Bertorelli hopes to bring her grandchildren for a visit. As she puts it, “Dr. Merli needs to see the fruits of his labor – Cristina’s three children who, along with my other five grandchildren, are the light of my life.”
To learn more or make a gift online, please visit: jefferson.edu/GiveSurgery or contact Kelly Austin at 215-955-6383 or Kelly.Austin@jefferson.edu.
Recommended Citation
(2024)
"Grateful Mother Honors Merli: ‘Great Doctor, Even Better Human Being’,"
Jefferson Surgical Solutions: Vol. 20:
Iss.
3, Article 7.
Available at:
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jss/vol20/iss3/7
Peggy Bertorelli’s daughter Cristina adopted a cat and named him “Merli” in honor of the lifesaving care she received at Jefferson.