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Both of my grandfathers died of cancer. My dad died of cancer. My mom is a breast cancer survivor. I'm a testicular cancer survivor. I've seen it, been there, done that, didn't like any of it!

I had lost both grandfathers to cancer, when I was younger, but they lived far away so I didn't really see the pain and suffering involved, other than the fact that I'd lost my grandfathers. When my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May of 96, the day after celebrating my birthday with me, it took the wind out of the sails of our family. It was the emotional crash that over 3,500 Americans feel daily when they are told they have cancer. My dad was a strong willed fighter that absolutely never gave up at anything until he reached his goal. I guess I grew up with that attitude also, so we figured we'd fight this, cure it and move on. It wasn't denial, but rather the belief that you set a goal, any goal, and don't stop until you get there.

Like most people that are told they have cancer, we didn't have the information we needed. Cancer, as prevalent as it is, usually isn't studied by the general public until they have it. I spent the days helping care for my dad, taking him to treatments or whatever he needed. At night I would stay on the computer for hours gathering info and chatting with other patients, doctors or whoever had any information we could use.

My dad died 5 months after his diagnosis - Nov 96 .

In the months after that I often thought a good way to honor my dad was to get involved with some cancer organization. I just didn't know where that was. It did take me a while to really straighten my own life out after my dad's experience. Actually about three years, but things were really going well. I had remarried and was truly happy and everything was great. Then it was my turn - Jan 00. I was told over the phone that I had testicular cancer. I had been to the doctor because I had a bad cold or flu and while I was there had some other tests done. Great, now I had to tell my wife of four months, my kids and my mom that I had cancer. I knew their thoughts and fears would go straight back to what we had been through with my dad. I needed something positive to add to the bad news. I remembered Lance Armstrong's story. Lance had just won his first Tour de France six months prior. It had caught my attention because he was a cancer survivor, not because I was a cycling fan. Within about three minutes of my diagnosis, I found Lance's website and the Lance Armstrong Foundation website. This was the positive story that I needed. It didn't really matter who Lance was or that he rode a bike, just that he had cancer and now he's alive.

My wife, partner and best friend, Angie and I spent the next several months during my treatment reading about Lance. We ended up buying bikes, raising some money for the foundation and going to Austin and meeting him at the Lance Armstrong Foundation Ride for the Roses Weekend. Ironically as we were planning our trip to Austin, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was an even greater reason for us to be involved. Once we met Lance and the LAF staff, it was plainly obvious how dedicated they all were in the fight against cancer.

Angie and I now have annual plans to go to Austin for the Ride for the Roses. We also run various fundraisers throughout the year and try to keep the awareness up by passing out literature or speaking at events. What we get out of this is the knowledge that we're helping others go through what we have already been through, and doing our small part to end this disease.

Angie and Jerry Kelly

South Regional Mentor - Lance Armstrong Foundation

jk1737@aol.com