In late spring 2025, our family received unexpected and heartbreaking news - the youngest in our family, Jimmy, received a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer. News of this kind is always shocking and painful, but especially when it hits someone young and in the prime of their life. This certainly was the case with Jimmy. Coming through a trying time personally, Jimmy left Arizona and moved back to Maryland to be near his family and to start a new life in 2019. He found his footing, joined the local ice hockey league and there met the woman who would change everything, Meredith. Together they played hockey, rode mountain bikes and spent lots of time fishing for bass on the boat they lovingly restored together. They got engaged, he got a new job and turned fifty with everything to look forward to…until their whole world turned upside down. Instead of planning a wedding, they were scheduling Dr appointments, driving to chemo treatments and dealing with horrific side effects and stress.

From the start, Jimmy put on a brave and tough face and set out to fight the fight of his life. Never complaining, he mostly worried about the burden of the cancer journey on the love of his life, his fiancée Meredith, and her 2 daughters.

He has endured 15 rounds of chemo treatment thus far but has been warned that he has only just begun. He has fought extreme nausea leading to significant weight loss. He struggles with worsening neuropathy, sleeplessness and blisters and sores on his hands and face. Through it all, he continues to try and work around his treatment schedule and more than anything, find some semblance of normalcy in life. But it is getting harder and harder and the stress and anxiety, not to mention the brutal chemo treatments, are really taking a toll.

Life doesn’t stop when cancer comes into your life - things continue to break, house repairs need to be made, kids’ education costs keep coming. Though he is very reluctant to complain or even talk about his cancer, we his family, want to make sure he feels surrounded and lifted up by love and support from family and friends, near and far.

Please consider reaching out to Jimmy to encourage him and let him know that he is loved. Please lift him up in prayer and let him know he is not fighting this alone. And, if you feel inclined, please consider a donation to help lighten the load he and Meredith bear. He is obviously unable to work full time right now and Meredith is doing everything she can to not only work full time, but care for him and be there for him during this nightmare.

Both of them epitomize kindness, simplicity and humility. Their attitude and approach during all of this has been unbelievably inspiring. But now, more than ever, we want them to know that they are not alone. It takes a village and we, his immediate family, hope that you will join us in being that village for him and Meredith. I know that each gesture of kindness and support will mean the world to them. Thank you for your love and prayers for Jimmy.