Baltimore Community Pays It Forward to Selfless Doctor.
August 19, 2025 by Cathy Stack
BALTIMORE, Maryland—Known to his patients as "Dr. Z," Dr. Michael Zollicoffer has served his Baltimore community as a beloved pediatrician and family physician for more than 40 years. He often provides services for free to patients who cannot afford treatment, so when he received a cancer diagnosis and ran into insurance complications himself, his community rallied to help.
"Forget that dollar bill, I’m going to see you no matter what," Dr. Z would tell his patients. "You walk in that door, you will be seen. You bring your grandma with you, I’ll see her, too."
Dr. Z chose to build a caring community and a sense of goodwill rather than collect wealth.
Leading with kindness and compassion, Dr. Z reassures his patients that they can call him 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They depend on Dr. Z to be there in their time of need, and they ultimately returned the favor in a big way. When Dr. Z's patients heard that his insurance wouldn't cover life-saving procedures, they organized to raise $280,000 to pay for his cancer treatment.
"He is unbelievable, because you'll never meet another person like him ever," patient Lita Johnson said.
In 2025, Dr. Z was diagnosed with two forms of cancer. He then realized his own insurance had lapsed due to a Medicare policy complication. He soon grew concerned about how he would pay for the treatments, which had an estimated price tag of $150,000.
A close friend of Dr. Z’s started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the funds. News soon spread that Dr. Z – who had shown kindness and care in the community for decades – now needed their help. More than 3,400 community members came to his aid with donations of various sizes. Collectively, the community raised an incredible $280,000.
It was now Dr. Z’s turn to feel gratitude toward his generous community members. Dr. Z said he might not be rich, but he is flush with job satisfaction.
He reflected on the cycle of giving in his community, saying, "We are about giving! I can't make it without them, nor can they make it without me."
Dr. Z’s insurance has been restored. He has successfully undergone his cancer treatments and has a good prognosis. He returned to work and regularly sees patients. He said any funds left over from his treatments will be funneled back into the community.
"There are no words that can say thank you" Dr. Z said.
The Foundation for a Better Life and PassItOn believe that Dr. Michael Zollicoffer and his Baltimore community members are heroes. His devotion to his patients and their generous donations are a great example of the value of community. Please help us celebrate Dr. Z and his community members by sharing their inspiring story of goodwill.
watch video here: https://youtu.be/c9J2PhIsltI?si=YmEr0RCmSHW0pIkf
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