Stories of Hope

Thankfully, the T.J. Martell Foundation referred me to Mount Sinai in New York, and they took fantastic care of me.

It was clear from the start that they were the experts in their field. When another team first recommended an aggressive course of chemo that could have been debilitating, Dr. James Holland reviewed my case. He recommended a less invasive procedure of oral chemo, so I never missed a day of work because of side effects.

They took such good care of me, and I've now been in remission for almost nine years. The advances in treatment have allowed me to preserve my active lifestyle and be the dad I always wanted to be to my three children. A few summers ago, I even rode 105 miles to support cancer patients and survivors.

"Oncology" was going to become a central focus of our lives though I didn't know anything about cancer treatment, and my son Royce had never even heard the word cancer before.

We were so overwhelmed by the numerous invasive medical treatments our son received that we didn't know where to begin or what questions to ask. The T.J. Martell Foundation helped us quickly! They connected us with hospital and department leadership, and within 36 hours of our arrival, we had a care plan and family resources to guide us.

Now, our little guy is in remission and is thriving. We went from chemo to bicycling and from appointments to playdates. We are so thankful to have our lives back and for my son to focus on just being a kid! We love and appreciate the T.J. Martell Foundation for the help and support they gave us in our greatest time of need.

A friend recommended that I call the T.J. Martell Foundation. I was familiar with their work because of their partnership with CMA and their solid reputation in the music industry.

The T.J. Martell Foundation provided quick referrals to specialists at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

The Foundation got me out of being paralyzed and moved me in the direction I needed to go, seeing the doctors I needed to see. I would have never been able to make these connections. I’m eternally grateful to the T.J. Martell Foundation for their love, support, direction, compassion, and expertise. I will always do anything I can to help them.

I was asked to help with the 1st annual Kidney Foundation River Roast, a Barbecue competition and concert in my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Fast forward 20 years. I worked and lived in a different community and spoke to my good friend David Corlew about wanting to contribute my time and asked for his suggestions. He introduced me to the T.J. Martell Foundation. I did, and I continued to work on this event for the next 12 years, even spending a short time on the board. I would soon learn the reason behind my years working with the Kidney Foundation and my newfound efforts with the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Suddenly, I found myself having pains in my side. I went to the Emergency Room, and after having a CAT scan, the doctor entered the room with both good and bad news. The good news was that I had a kidney stone in my right kidney, which was easily treatable. The bad news was that I had a growth on my left kidney, which would probably mean the removal of my kidney, along with the tumor.

I called upon my friends at the T.J. Martell Foundation, and they helped my wife and me schedule an appointment at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. My surgery was scheduled, and because Vanderbilt is cutting-edge, they offered the option of a partial Nephrectomy instead of the removal of my entire kidney. The tumor was removed, and my life was saved.