our stories: CANCER WARRIOR
John Brumlow —
Finding Love and Strength
in His Darkest Days
BY MISTY BROWNING
J
ohn Brumlow was not prepared to have cancer. He was diagnosed
lymphoma and they took all his lymph nodes out, along with places
on his hand and arm, and his face. When he went back to the doctor
a year later, he was told that he was clear.
It was a brief victory. Tragically, a few months later he ended up
with liver cancer.
“The liver cancer is bad,” he said. “You cannot imagine the pain,
and the doctors that I go to now at the Cancer Center are wonderful.
They have helped me. They said the last time that I took a scan that it
had not grown, but it hadn’t shrunk either so maybe it will stay like it
is for a while.”
It was at this point in his cancer journey that he met the Careity
Foundation. Brumlow will be the first to tell you that Careity has saved
his life.
“It it wasn’t for them; I would already have been gone. And that
is a fact. I would have already died because I was not able with the
high expense of medication to get back and forth to the doctor. These
people, I swear that they need wings because they are angels.”
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But it’s not the help with the expenses that
has helped him fight this journey for so long.
It’s the love that he has been shown in his
darkest hours. The words of encouragement
he has received when the pain gets so unbear-
able that he can’t stand it another minute.
“I can hurt, terribly awfully bad, and get
upset. They can put their hand on me and tell
me its alright its going to be OK. [They] help
calm me down because the pain that I get
in, like a lot of people, is unbearable. These
people with Careity, how in the world they
get up every day and see people that they
know will not make it another week and still
act like they love them. They are not afraid to
hold their hand or put their arm around them.
They’re not afraid to say,’ John, its going to
be alright,’ and help you with things that you
really need.”
Careity has also helped him with his
transportation needs, including getting back
and forth to the doctor for his chemotherapy.
When his medication is gone and he is unable
to financially afford another pill, Careity
comes in and helps him purchase his meds.
They also help him with things that we take
for granted, like eating and drinking.
“There was six months that I couldn’t eat.
I went from 210 lbs. to 140 lbs. They taught
me how to eat with this cancer. Things that
I did not know. The people at Careity have
not asked for anything, they just want to help.
That’s why I love them all. There is nothing
that I would not do for them.”
Brumlow knows that he doesn’t have long
to live, that the cancer will eventually take
him. He owes his life to Careity. He also
knows that Careity needs all the help they
can get to continue supporting those in Parker
County with cancer.
“They need help. They need people to say,
these people have cancer and I want to help.
These children have cancer and I want help. I
would like people who have an extra dollar or
50 cents to give it to Careity. There’s a lot of
people on television who ask for money. They
[Careity]have never asked for one penny, but
they need help to help us.”
Brumlow will continue with his chemo
and take his meds until he can’t. When he
goes to the cancer center, he’s not in the best
shape. He says that he’s not the bull rider that
he used to be, and he can be weak and in
bad shape. But he says when he leaves, their
care and love make him feel much better, and
he loves them for that.
“I don’t love my coffee. I don’t love my
steak. I don’t love my dog. I like them a lot.
But I love these people. I really honestly do,
because they care, they really honestly care.
They will do whatever they can to help you,
to make you feel good about yourself.”