Fundraiser kickstarts researcher’s promise to ‘swing for the fences’ in memory of lung cancer patient

Kelly Bulak dreamed of restoring Charleston’s historic homes and preserving their stories. In August of 2020, she took the plunge – quitting her job as an interior designer to go back to school for her master’s in historic preservation.

The weekend before classes started, she got shocking news: The cough she couldn’t seem to shake was a mass in her chest. She was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Additional scans at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center revealed another mass, which was identified as Hurthle cell thyroid cancer.

Determined, Kelly told her oncologist John Wrangle, M.D., M.P.H., that she wanted the most aggressive treatment possible. “She was an amazing person, her will to live was so enormous,” said Wrangle, a renowned cancer researcher. His lab at Hollings is on the forefront of discovering new immunotherapy treatments for lung cancer. 

 

Kelly didn’t let cancer dictate her life. She kept pursuing her master’s degree through multiple rounds of radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. She traveled. She stood by her friends as a bridesmaid. When chemotherapy and radiation lost their effectiveness, she worked with Wrangle to find a new treatment path.

“She just assumed that things were going to be fine,” her mom, Pam Bulak, recalled. “That was our mantra. But we never really talked about how it might not be fine. It was just going to be fine.”

Despite her tenacity, her treatment options ran out. Kelly died of cancer, less than two weeks shy of her 31st birthday. Her final wish was for research to lead to a cure for lung cancer.

“In her last week, we made a will in the hospital,” said her father, Jim Bulak. “And one of Kelly's major bequeathals was to support Dr. Wrangle’s cancer research.” In 2022, Kelly's estate and her friends donated nearly $45,000 to Wrangle's research. Kelly's parents and friends, through donations and fundraisers, have continued to support his lab in 2023 and 2024.

Wrangle put the money toward high-risk, high-reward research that he says wouldn’t get funded through conventional sources like the National Cancer Institute.

“Federal grants usually back safe, established research,” Wrangle said. “But if you're aiming to revolutionize treatments for patients like Kelly, you need unrestricted funding that lets you swing for the fences and push the boundaries of what's possible in science.”

And he is: Wrangle’s lab is developing a revolutionary approach to treating lung cancer. While he can’t talk about it publicly until the patents are finalized, Wrangle did offer this exciting sneak peek: imagine cancer cells turning into their own executioners.

It’s a game-changing idea that Wrangle says has been “rattling around” in his head for more than a decade. Because of philanthropic investments from Kelly and others, his idea is now becoming reality.

“When you think of philanthropy, you may think about the million-dollar donations that erect new buildings and support large initiatives,” Wrangle said. “But there are thousands of projects that need to get started on this campus, and those are funded through bike rides like LOWVELO and $10 donations and $5,000 donations. These grassroots contributions come together to fund laboratories and kickstart high-risk science. They’re the lifeblood of innovation.”

Kelly’s parents have also directed funds from her estate to the Hollings Patient Support Fund and created an endowment for summer internships in the Master of Science in Historic Preservation program at Clemson University in Charleston.

The loss of their only child has been devastating for the Bulaks.

“Kelly was the love of my life,” Jim said. “She was adventurous, caring, organized, creative and wise. She was everything.”

“She was our everything,” Pam echoed.

But they take some comfort in knowing her legacy shines brightly in the spirit of everyone who knew and loved her.

“Her circle was wide,” Pam said. “So many people have come to Kelly's birthday parties and memorials to celebrate her life. And they’ll say to us, ‘She really made a difference to me and how I live my life now.’”

And because of her enduring generosity, Kelly will impact countless more lives for generations to come.