Three longtime friends, sports buddies, met up at a local establishment,
where the owner, a fellow athlete and friend since childhood, had recently succumbed to cancer. In a strange twist of fate, all three had also recently received a cancer diagnosis. As they spoke, one of them said, "Let’s do something. How about a float on the river, something like a poker run. We could give the money to the Schwab Family Cancer Center (SFCC)” And with that, Float for a Cure was born. That first year, 2018, the group raised $1,577. Since then, they have given the SFCC Patient Assistance Fund nearly $20,000.
The fund supported 761 individuals just this year, with things as small as $20 gas
cards and as large as a mortgage payment. Because cancer takes so much of what we
take for granted, the recipients are often everyday individuals like you and me, people
who might have been working just last week, chasing kids and grandkids and going to the store, but are suddenly facing bills they cannot pay.
Steve Brill, one of three men who formed the Float for a Cure fundraiser, was a man with such a strong family history of cancer that his wife insisted he begin monitoring his PSA when he was just 40 years old. His father, uncle, and cousin all had prostate cancer; even his mother and in-laws had various forms of cancer. And at 57, despite his vigilance, he too was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Because he wasn't blindsided but proactive, Steve had time to contemplate his next medical move. He became one of the first patients to benefit from the DaVinci robot, a state-of-the-art technology which uses minimally invasive laparoscopic incisions so small that there is very little risk of infection. Pain is minimized and recovery is accelerated. This technology has moved many surgeries from major to minor, and we are fortunate to have it here. Dr. Jason Riley was Steve's surgeon.
Years went by, and his trusted doctor, Vasil Parousis, noticed a slight bump in his PSA,
which triggered a very specific nuclear prostate cancer test. The finding was a
suspicious area close to a lymph node. The treatment protocol was daily radiation
therapy sessions, for a period of 38 days. Steve tells us that on the first day of treatments, Brent Thornton, SFCC Social Worker, came in, introduced himself, and offered him gas cards, knowing he would be driving from Keyser every day. Brent said he wanted to be sure he made it to every appointment and was not hindered by not being able to afford either gas for his own car, or for someone else who might be bringing him.
Our patient said, “I never asked for the gas cards and was amazed by this kind offer. The
funds that me and my buddies helped raise - that money for the Schwab Cancer Patient
Assistance Fund – was the very fund that was now helping me. It was humbling. My life
had come full circle.
This story has a happy ending. With early detection, robotic surgical technology,
treatments close to home, and the Patient Assistance Fund, he has plenty to look
forward to. He will continue to spend quality time with his wife of 44 years, his three
grown children, two grandchildren, and many long-time friends. He will spend
cherished seasons at his family camp and hunting land in the Petersburg, WV area, his
favorite place on earth.
We are grateful that he plans to keep on floating, raising money to help the patients
at the Schwab Family Cancer Center. The group is already looking at ways to make this
event even better next year. His final hope, in his own words, is to give back to the
Cancer Center that has given him life.
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