Don’t Give Up on Testicular Cancer

Will Thompson talks about losing his stepbrother Max Mallory to testicular cancer, the drug-related death of a close friend, and then dealing with life after these losses. An accomplished musician and sound professional, Will talks about the role of music in his life and happiness. [00:01:03] Coping with loss. [00:05:11] Testicular cancer awareness. [00:07:39] Undiagnosed illness and healthcare. [00:10:58] Raising awareness for cancer. [00:14:40] Testicular cancer awareness. [00:18:55] Recording studio venue dream. [00:21:28] Learning video editing skills. [00:25:46] Favorite song. [00:27:53] Creativity and life. Enjoy this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Daniel Makarewicz was diagnosed with testicular cancer on August 11, 2010, at the age of 24. At the time, he was a sports reporter at the Dispatch and the Rock Island Argus in Moline, Illinois. His urologist recommended emergency surgery to remove his left testicle, which was eventually classified as Stage 1. Following chemo and surveillance, he was deemed a survivor on June 11, 2020, his last checkup with oncologists. Daniel shares many stories of his life before, during, and after his testicular cancer diagnosis, including that of a mysterious donor who left envelopes for him at his parents' house with brief but meaningful messages and cash over a two-year period. Learn more about his transition from journalism to teaching and his perspective on life worth hearing. Thank you for listening to Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

A singer and performer from Spain, Alberto Sogorb shares his perspective on surviving testicular cancer diagnosed five years ago in 2018. He found a lump on his left testicle and visited two physicians before he received the correct diagnosis. He explains his treatment of surgery and surveillance, including an interruption to his career due to one employer's restrictions. But Alberto continued singing and has become a recognized performer in Spain, his home country, and Europe. Learn more about Alberto Sogorb's testicular cancer journey and how he effectively navigated it through the Spanish healthcare system. And listen to Alberto's singing and see him perform at https://www.albertosogorb.com/ on his website. Listen to past episodes of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer, a podcast from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Join Matt Ode in part 2 of Life, Faith and Surviving Testicular Cancer, where he shares more about the path to healing from his testicular cancer treatment. In this segment, Matt talks about treatment, the power of his family's support and prayer, and his strengthened connection with his girlfriend Lauren, who Matt married in the summer of 2022. At age 24, Matt had to learn to walk again and rebuild his physical strength. He talks candidly about his faith and its pivotal and ongoing role in his life then and now. Connect with Matt Ode on his Facebook community - Cancer Patient/Survivor Network: Taking Back Your Life From Cancer. Listen to this podcast from the Max Mallory Foundation, and other Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer episodes. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Meet Matt Ode, now 31 at the recording of this podcast, married, and a man who survived Stage 3C testicular cancer. Diagnosed at age 24, Matt was a personal trainer in excellent shape and enjoying life until he received his cancer diagnosis. His treatment began with chemotherapy, and then, surgery to remove an 11-centimeter tumor in his small intestine followed by multiple complications. Faith played, and continues to play, a vital and primary role in Matt's story, details he shared in this podcast. Matt's mom had people praying all over the world for his recovery. He endured two comas - one that happened on its own, and later, an induced coma after cardiac arrest. His girlfriend, now wife Lauren, traveled this journey with him, and listeners will learn more about her support. And now, after years of hard work and internal discovery, Matt gives back to those with cancer in many ways. His Facebook group - Cancer/ Patient Survivor Network: Take Back Your Life From Cancer- began in 2020 and has more than 6,000 followers. In 2023, he introduced a second Facebook group to help cancer survivors find the path they want to take using their own unique talents. This is Part 1 of Matt Ode's story. Learn more about this vibrant, enthusiastic, and energetic young man, helping people transform their minds, body and spirit as a testicular cancer survivor. VIsit the Max Mallory Foundation to listen to this and past episodes of Don't GIve Up on Testicular Cancer. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

In 2019 at age 39, Chris Smith, a father of three boys, learned he had advanced testicular cancer. He started treatment, and then, with only three sessions left, his blood markers increased. The chemo had stopped working. Chris moved ahead with advanced treatment, including high-dose chemo and a stem cell transplant. It worked. In 2023, he continues to give back to other cancer patients near Asheville, North Carolina. He visits the hospital where he had treatment twice a month and delivers warm blankets and snacks to cancer patients. As a successful real estate entrepreneur, Chris owns Modern Mountain Real Estate and hosts an annual golf tournament that his coworkers started during his treatment. All proceeds go to cancer patients. Listen as Chris shares his story of survival in this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

For our Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer podcast during Movember 2022, the Max Mallory Foundation talked with Jordan Stine who found a lump on his testicle two weeks after his wedding. He knew about testicular cancer because his dad and his younger brother survived this disease. Jordan followed the advice of his sibling, who told him to get through the day and what was right in front of him. He did, and he banked sperm as well. Now, eight years after his diagnosis and the father of three children, Jordan tells his story of cancer treatment, IVF, the grant he and his wife received to help cover IVF expenses, and life with a young family. After his testicular cancer journey, he looks forward to T-ball practice and living life where his feet are that day. From the Max Mallory Foundation team: We met Jordan Stine through our support for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where Max Mallory earned his bachelor's degree in Media Arts and Game Development (MAGD) in 2015. The Foundation provides an annual, two-year scholarship for a junior in the MAGD program and a cash prize for the annual MAGD Expo. Jordan is the Director of Philanthropy at the university. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Something in his first semester, freshman college biology class, triggered Matt Froestad to visit the local hospital emergency department and ask about the lump on his testicle. His intuition paid off because he had testicular cancer- Stage 1A diagnosed in 2009. He returned to the hospital in 2011, his senior year, to learn cancer had returned in his other testicle – again Stage 1A. But Matt banked sperm before his surgery for this second go-round with cancer. Listen to Matt’s story of cancer, sperm banking, IVF with his wife, and the birth of his daughter. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Matt Finch grew up in a family that rode and raced motorcycles. He continues this tradition that helped him heal from his testicular cancer diagnosis and treatment at age 29. He had two children, aged 7 and 5 when he learned about his cancer. Four years later, he’s added another child to his family and spends his time as a police officer in Woodbridge, Suffolk, in the UK, with his children and partner Lucy, and on his bike to help raise awareness about this disease. Find Matt on Instagram at 445oneballracing. Listen to this episode of the Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Caleb Kerbs played second base for a Division 1 baseball team at the University of Maine. His testicular cancer diagnosis happened during his junior year of college in 2018. He was lucky since his cancer was at Stage 1. Now, four years later, he tells his story of survival, meditation with Buddhist monks in Thailand, and culinary school. Listen to Caleb’s story on Don’t Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

With a master’s degree in social work, Christina Merrill saw how managing a transplant diagnosis upended the lives of patients and their caregivers. She founded the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation (BMCF) in 1992 to help patients and their caregivers facing bone marrow and other transplants. In 2018, she expanded all services to cancer patients and their caregivers. In 2022, BMCF introduced Cancer Buddy, an app to connect transplant and cancer patients across the globe with another person, a cancer buddy, facing the same diagnosis. Christina talks about the BMCF financial and community services available to cancer patients, including testicular cancer patients, in this episode of Don’t Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

| In 2022, 10,000 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer. Podcast host Joyce Lofstrom discusses testicular cancer headlines from news alerts and her experiences talking with cancer survivors. She covers the topics of harmful forever chemicals – PFAS as one – linked to testicular cancer, life after completing the cancer journey, healthcare insurance coverage, and finding and receiving the needed care during and after cancer. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Bryan Stacy faced a testicular cancer and sexually transmitted infection diagnosis on the same day. A man in his early 30s, Bryan found his life soon changed with surgery, chemo and recovery for three months at his parents’ house. The testicular cancer experience led him to look at his life and what he wanted out of it. He left his job with Accenture in Washington, D.C., moved to New York City, and founded two successful businesses as a creator of tech to help people feel safe and help men feel comfortable talking about their general health and sexual health. With those two businesses behind him, Bryan Stacy now has another business in development. In this episode, here are the four sections of Bryan's story. 01:06 - The Testicular Cancer Journey 25:22 - Back to Work 33:34 - Now an Entrepreneur 43:58 - Advice to Consider Enjoy this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Byron Lane is an author, playwright, screenwriter, and testicular cancer survivor diagnosed in 2015 and 2020. His award-winning web series LAST WILL & TESTICLE, released in 2016, provides a humorous and introspective look at Byron’s testicular cancer experience. Lane shares his perspective as a cancer survivor and advocate in this podcast. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he learned cancer had returned, a diagnosis received two months before the release of his debut novel, A STAR IS BORED, described by the New York Times as “wildly funny.” The book is about an uptight celebrity assistant struggling to manage his eccentric movie star boss, inspired in part by Lane’s time as assistant to beloved actress Carrie Fisher. With the upcoming book release, Lane says he had something to look forward to during his days of chemo and treatment. Lane is a two-time regional Emmy Award winner from his time as a television news journalist. As a playwright and scriptwriter, he authored the acclaimed play TILDA SWINTON ANSWERS AN AD ON CRAIGSLIST and the feature film HERPES BOY starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. Lane lives with his husband, bestselling author Steven Rowley, in Palm Springs. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Richard Kentish is a UK training captain and examiner with Ryanair and a professional "with a demonstrated history of working in the airlines/aviation industry," per his LinkedIn profile. He learned he had testicular cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic and managed his health with support from his wife and two young daughters. Now back in the air, Richard shares his emotional story of surviving testicular cancer, returning to a job he loves, and telling his story to as many people or organizations who will listen. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Alex Obendorf learned he had advanced testicular cancer in 2020 during his senior year of college at the University of West Virginia. He left school and the final year of his swimming scholarship to return home for treatment. It's crucial to know Alex had a 10-pound tumor wrapped around his aorta and other organs, a situation that required an 8- to 10-hour surgery. To show their support, his university swim team, coach, and team psychologist showed up at Alex's door during his cancer journey. More than two years later, Alex shares his story of survival, mindfulness, and plans for the next phase of his life to give back to others facing similar healthcare challenges. Listen to Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Byron Geldard learned he had testicular cancer at age 18. He survived and went on to a career with Young Lives Versus Cancer, a charity in England where Byron is the Fundraising Engagement Manager. He’s also a stand-up comedian who uses comedy to talk about cancer and survival. Find out how Byron moved on from his testicular cancer diagnosis to help children and other young people who have cancer. Visit the Max Mallory Foundation for more information on testicular cancer and to hear this podcast and other episodes of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Todd Koza survived testicular cancer twice – once in high school and again some years later. He’s been cancer free for nine years. Now, he spends his free time raising awareness about all cancers, but especially testicular cancer, to help as many people as he can. Todd shares more about his story of cancer, survival, and his Facebook support group SHORTY KOZA N' THE SURVIVORS. Visit the Max Mallory Foundation website, and listen to other episodes of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

Connor O'Leary was 19 and a professional cyclist when diagnosed with testicular cancer. After treatment, he and his dad David, a cancer survivor, qualified for Amazing Race 22. This competitive biking event took this duo across the world in 2014, and they won the competition. Connor joined the Testicular Cancer Foundation as Chief Mission Officer in 2015, where he helps other survivors and their families have the resources and community so crucial during this health journey. Hear more from Connor on this episode of Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.

It happened at the same time. Andy Storch released his book Own Your Career, Own Your Life and learned he had Stage 2 testicular cancer. Instead of promoting his new book, this testicular cancer survivor spent the next few months managing chemotherapy, adjusting his diet, and adding alternative treatments to his care regimen. Hear Andy's story on Don't Give Up on Testicular Cancer from the Max Mallory Foundation. Learn more from this husband, father, and business owner who is on a mission to get the absolute most out of life and inspire others to do the same. Support the showFind us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Linkedin. If you can please support our nonprofit through Patreon.