On Thursday, July 14, 2022 – Bastille Day, the French national holiday – Jerome Paven went shopping, preparing for vacation with his pregnant wife and son.
In the middle of a bustling Parisian market, the UPS Healthcare SMB National Account Manager heard an urgent plea from his customer, Jean-Charles Rocchi, supply chain director for SERB Pharmaceuticals.
Jean-Charles said that a child in Tel Aviv, Israel, was battling a form of blood poisoning after chemotherapy. The patient's life was in danger. The team at SERB has an antidote ... but could UPS Healthcare deliver the drug within 24 hours?
"I'm a dad," Jerome said. "I put myself in the place of the parent of that child. I could never accept doing nothing."
Jerome notified his UPS team. After a full review of options, they determined the fastest and safest way to deliver the drug would be outside normal shipping channels.
Jerome would personally fly to Tel Aviv with the drug and deliver it to the medical facility where the child was being treated.
"Jerome didn't hesitate for a second," said Jan Nissen, vice president of sales for UPS Healthcare's European Region. "The destiny of a child puts everything else into perspective."
Cutting through complications
Jean-Charles started the mission.
The SERB executive made a four-hour overnight trip with the life-saving drug, driving from Lyon, in central France, to Paris. He met Jerome on Friday morning, July 15, at Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
A five-hour flight later, Jerome arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. To his surprise, the oversized box containing the rescue drug ... and preserving it at a temperature between 2 degrees and 8 degrees Celsius ... did not come down the baggage belt.
Jerome had more complications. Cabs are hard to find on the Sabbath in Tel Aviv. The UPSer with the oversized package of medication also hadn't slept.
"It didn't matter," Jerome said. "I just kept thinking about the little guy who needed the medicine."
A passion for healthcare
The little guy survived.
Jerome reached the hospital Friday afternoon. Soon after, the patient received an injection of the antidote that lowered the toxic level of chemotherapy in his blood.
Jerome went straight back to the airport and a flight to home and family ... and his worthwhile work.
UPS Healthcare received a grateful note from SERB Pharmaceuticals.
"Many thanks for allowing Jerome to make this urgent delivery himself," wrote Jean-Charles. "We thank you in the name of all our group."
He went on. "This is a perfect example of our shared commitment to serve patients in life-threatening situations ... and a great demonstration of the entrepreneurial spirit of our respective teams."
Jerome agreed.
"We proved to our customer the passion we have for healthcare," he said. "We'll always find a solution to deliver what matters."
