Sports

Marlene Neely Center for Digestive Health opens at Tufts Medical Center

BOSTON — The Cam Neely Foundation has donated more than $30 million to Tufts Medical Center since its inception in 1995, and Thursday night, the ribbon was cut on the Marlene Neely Center for Digestive Health.

Marlene Neely, Cam's mom, passed away from colon cancer in 1987, when Cam played with the Bruins.

Now the team's president, Neely stays critically involved in the fight against cancer, annually raising millions of dollars to support families who are dealing with the obstacles related to treating and living with the disease.

The Marlene Neely Center for Digestive Health will focus specifically on patients who are dealing with gastro-intestinal illnesses. Patients will be greeted by a lovely glass marquee featuring a depiction of Marlene Neely and a special poem written by her grandson, Jack.

The center will included 10 new exam rooms, along with an expanded seating area. Also, five procedure rooms are also included, where patients can undergo endoscopies or colonoscopies in the same location where they see their GI specialist. 

This past November's Comics Come Home event at TD Garden raised $1.5 million in funding for the $8 million center.