Dr Malcolm Legget received the letter about his honour just days before his death in November. Photo: Supplied
An esteemed cardiologist who fought a rare form of cancer while leading clinical teams, researching, teaching and advocating for better access to services has been posthumously recognised in the New Year Honours list.
Dr Malcolm Legget was told just days before his death in November that he had become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to cardiology and cancer treatment and research.
His widow, Carrie Hobson, told RNZ he was "really overwhelmed" by the news.
"He was very, very humbled by the whole thing, and he insisted that the recognition must go to the team that has achieved the improved outcomes for patients with NETs and also in cardiology.
"He was someone who just never, ever sought recognition. In fact, one of his favourite sayings was, 'It is amazing what you can achieve if you don't mind who gets the bouquet.' "
Not only did Legget have "remarkable intellectual capability", her late husband also had "massive empathy for mankind", and had wanted to be a doctor since he was a child, she said.
In 2011, Legget was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer (NET) - the same rare cancer that killed Apple co-founder Steve Jobs - after seeing his GP about stomach pain and fatigue. But he was determined to survive to be with his family and help get better outcomes for people with the cancer, Hobson said.
There was "no question" treatments for NETs were transformed in New Zealand thanks to his efforts, "and the fact that he had boundless energy and was absolutely tenacious and determined to get things done", she said.
Photo: Supplied
About 400 New Zealanders were diagnosed with NETs each year. It was very difficult to diagnose and had usually metastasised by the time it was caught, she said.
At the time Legget was diagnosed, it cost over $50,000 for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and $3000 for the diagnostic scan alone - and even then they were only available in Australia.
"We were really fortunate that we could access that, but Malcolm was determined to make it available to others in New Zealand who didn't have the means."
Legget became friends with Siobhan Conroy, who had founded the Unicorn Foundation in 2010 - now Neuroendocrine Cancer New Zealand - and joined the board in 2014.
He led the drive and fundraised millions to bring clinical expertise, a research programme, the Gallium-68 scanner and treatment into New Zealand's public health system.
Dr Malcolm Legget with Unicorn NZ charity founder Siobhan Conroy on the steps of Parliament after a cycle tour to raise funds for a new scanner. Photo: Supplied
The machine - now located at Mercy Radiology in Auckland - was available for all New Zealanders and was also useful for diagnosing prostate cancer, Hobson said.
In 2016, the charity wrote a Pharmac application and sent a petition, which led to funding for 30 patients a year to go to Australia for PRRT treatment.
Post-Covid, that treatment was able to be delivered in New Zealand, and now, more patients are treated under the public system in Auckland Hospital than in Melbourne, she said.
Legget also founded and led fundraising for a world-class research network and treatment for NETs, including cycling the length of the country.
Dr Malcolm Legget during a cycle tour to raise funds for a new scanner to detect NET cancers. Photo: Supplied
In a statement, Neuroendocrine NZ chief executive Michelle Sullivan said Legget's honour was a "bittersweet moment" for the community.
"We wish our humble hero was still here so we could celebrate with him."
Instead of focusing on himself and his family after his diagnosis, Legget chose to transform NET treatment in New Zealand, Sullivan said.
Former Neuroendocrine Cancer NZ board member David Kinnear, left, with Dr Malcolm Legget and Sir John Key. Photo: Sam Goodwin / Supplied
Alongside his work in cancer treatment and research, Legget was the director of echocardiology at Greenlane Hospital between 1995 and 2000 and co-founded the private cardiology group The Heart Group in 1997.
The honours citation read that the group's work in novel procedures and improving access to services that might otherwise not have been available ultimately saved many lives.
Legget was also a board member of the Heart Foundation since 2016 and helped to raise funds for the establishment of the Heart Health Research Trust.
More than 1000 people filled Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell for his funeral on 12 November.
"I always knew he was a pretty amazing person... but [the funeral showed] just the extent of his influence and his connectivity with all walks of life," Hobson said.
"Although I'd been alongside Malcolm since we were 18 - been very blessed - I've still been amazed at the enormity of his achievements and his profound impact that he's had on patients with heart disease, the ability to corral his colleagues, to work with his students, and to impart his knowledge, to work with neuroendocrine cancer patients and the number of friends... and the influence that he's had... has just been remarkable."
Leggett was survived by Hobson and their three children.
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