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Our Mission & Story
Our mission at Cancer in the Crosshairs is to provide Awareness, Aid, and Adventure to support individuals impacted directly by cancer. We Aim to battle the “Emotional and Mental” Cancer of diagnosis, treatment, and post treatment. We Aim to support and give a sense of normalcy during this difficult time so individuals will be better prepared to battle the physical, mental, and emotional effects of cancer.
Cancer in the crosshairs was formed to help not only the patients, but also their family, friends, and caregivers. Going through cancer can be just as emotionally and mentally damaging as it is physically. Our hope is to offer financial, mental, emotional support, while giving them Outdoor Experiences that can be just as healing.
John loves to share his story of hope, and encouragement and the benefits he received through his experiences. Cancer in the Crosshairs began as a dream and wish of John’s as he cared for his father. He wanted something more to give…
"Going through cancer can be just as emotionally and mentally damaging as it is physically. We are here to bring the knowledge that it is tough and normal to feel overwhelmed in every way."
Growing up I spent thousands of hours outdoors with my fishing and camping buddy, my dad, ElRay Schumann. Through spending time together and sharing our common love of fishing we developed a close relationship. Many long drives to and from our favorite fishing spots were spent laughing, talking, and reminiscing about the great fishing adventures we had. My father was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered from Depression since I was a baby. Because of our close bond we could share and talk about anything. My dad taught me to never give up, how to work hard, but most importantly he taught me how be a father and what that really meant.
In 2014, I was 30 years old and found out my dad, ElRay, was diagnosed with aggressive tongue cancer and would be fighting for his life. It was devastating and rocked my world like nothing before. I did not know what to do or say, I had so many emotions and thoughts that ran through my mind. The biggest thought was I wanted my own children, who were still young, to enjoy time and experiences with my dad like I had. This was such a gift to me, and I wanted them to do the same with their grandfather. Throughout my life we faced a lot of challenges with my dad because of his struggles with depression and health issues which included a successful kidney transplant. We found a healing therapy as we
headed to the mountains together. It was helpful when we would go for a quick drive, trip on the river, or fishing together.
As I reflect on the many things I learned from my dad about life, a few things stood out through all his mental illness challenges. The first was his family, the second was his doctor’s counsel, and the third was the time dad spent outdoors creating adventures and memories with his family and friends. As dad’s illness progressed there were many surgeries and trips to the ICU. After 2 long years of fighting, I knew the time my father would leave this earth was close. One day we erased the entire medical text on the hospital’s whiteboard and started writing every stream, river, and lake we had fished together. There were so many we filled that board up and then wrote on my dad’s board (the one he used to communicate because of the loss of his tongue) and filled his board as well. We both sat quietly imagining doing it all again just one last time. This is when my light bulb came on, we wanted to fish one more day on Granite Creek and the Hoback river, the place of so many memories and our home away from home. I was willing to do anything and spend any amount necessary to make this happen. I called every resource and option I could think of to make this happen again. After 48 hours of no success and the doctors calling me crazy, I realized it was too late with the state of his health and where we were heading in the next few weeks and ultimately, I lost my father to cancer. The hardest thing in life can be losing a parent, but I felt like I lost my father, favorite fishing buddy and best friend. I was devastated.
I thought often about how just before dad’s passing the neighborhood gathered to welcome him home. There were hundreds and hundreds of people lining the streets, it was humbling and reminded me of what dad taught us all. His legacy is that reaching out to others and kindness supersedes all.
After the funeral I was struggling to cope with the loss of my father and everything that includes. One night 4 weeks later I was in a lot of physical pain that was rapidly increasing. I assumed it was from the chairs and beds at the hospital and refused to go to the Emergency room. However, my sweet wife felt otherwise and rushed me to hospital. A CT image revealed I had a 13 cm (about 5.2 inch) massive tumor against my kidney. I was rushed to the very same hospital that my dad was diagnosed and treated for cancer.
How was I supposed to react to this?
My father’s death became quick history as I was faced with the fact that I would have to fight for my own future, my loving wife, and children.
On December 18th, 2016, I was diagnosed with Testicular cancer. I was upset and I was mad. I tried to remain hopeful and have faith, while I was really feeling and thinking, “Merry Christmas…sheesh how much more of this crap will be in my life?” I began chemotherapy in January 2017. As I received treatments it got bad, I could not keep anything down, I was vomiting all the time. As luck would have it, although thousands of people can take Zofran (which is used to prevent or treat nausea due to chemotherapy) I was allergic to it. There was so much to endure physically, multiple blood transfusions, kidney stints, BEP Chemotherapy treatment and various side effects. Mentally things were even more difficult as I watched this struggle wear on my wife and kids.
Eventually, I had an opportunity to meet other men going through cancer and we shared some of our most intimate thoughts and fears. It was so relieving and strengthening to realize that I was not alone in all these thoughts, that other men going through cancer understood and felt the same way I did. I called my wife that night in tears, sharing with her the things I felt and other thoughts I had never shared with anyone else before. As I told my wife everything, I wondered why it took so long, she is my best friend. This had a profound impact on our family. As I completed treatment and found myself in a good place, I had a desire to help others. I started forming ideas from my experiences about ways I could reach out to others. I am a firm believer that the experiences my family and I went through are now a blessing. When asked if I am glad I went through cancer I would have to say yes (I did mention the doctors thought I was crazy) … yes, because I know it is God’s way of giving me the strength and passion help to others in need.
Cancer in the Crosshairs was formed to help not only the patients, but also their family, friends, and caregivers. Going through cancer can be just as emotionally and mentally damaging as it is physically. We are here to bring the knowledge that it is tough and normal to feel overwhelmed in every way. Our hope is to offer financial, mental, emotional support, and so much more. Each year there are billions of dollars spent dedicated to cancer research and finding a cure. While that number is incredible what can be done for those who are in the process of navigating the disease? That is where we step in, to help provide the mental and emotional fortitude to conquer and beat the disease.
Cancer in the Crosshairs will also sponsor families and individuals on an Adventure in the Outdoors, providing relief from their routine cancer schedule. This adventure will provide a sense of “normalcy” for families as they are given the opportunity to create new memories during difficult times, while reflecting upon the good things they have. The adventures range from trip for the family at a lodge near Yellowstone National Park, or a friend taking them on a drive and hike into the woods to talk. I know the outdoors offers a variety of ways to help individuals. The calming winds of Mother Nature gives us a place to reflect, a place of quiet, a place of calm; where we can emotionally and mentally strengthen ourselves and loved ones.
Retreats will Vary but some examples are, guided flyfishing trip, all inclusive campout, a nice cabin/lodge with ATV or UTV rides, private cabin stay, a nice weekend on the lake, or a guided hunt of a lifetime. We really focus on the individuals needs, wants and abilities for the outdoor retreats.
This is my story and my mission. I know our staff, volunteers, and community network share this goal as well. We all have a story and through sharing it we can focus on how much we have in common while offering strength and hope to each other. Thank you for your help and support, we know every donation will have an enormous impact and make a dramatic difference.
Founder,
John Schumann
