It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John passed away unexpectedly on April 19, 2026, from cardiac arrest.

John had been fighting stage 4 metastatic colon cancer, but his heart gave out before he could finish that fight. This fundraiser was designed to help with John and Shantel's living expenses while he was undergoing treatment. Unfortunately, with his passing, Shantel is facing even greater financial challenges. Without John's income or his disability payments, Shantel's income is insufficient to cover her living expenses. Her rent and car payment total $1,538 a month.

Shantel supported John through his illness, and now she could use our support.

John's original story, in his own words, is shared below:

“The story begins in the spring of 2022, two days before my son's high school graduation. I had severe bloating, gas, and burping. I could feel a knot of pain traveling through my intestine. Fortunately, I felt well enough to celebrate my son's graduation, but then a couple of days later, I experienced all of those symptoms again.

“This became a dreadful cycle. I might be fine for weeks at a time, and then I would spend multiple days or even a week in tremendous pain. My primary care physician and a gastroenterologist ordered a battery of tests and a Cologuard screening. Everything came back negative. This continued for two years on and off with no relief.

“In January 2025, after a colonoscopy, I was officially diagnosed with Stage 3C colon cancer. The cancer had spread to 14 of the 17 lymph nodes they biopsied. A couple of months later, I had a colectomy, removing 10 inches of colon via an open incision from below my navel to my sternum; I needed about a month to recover before starting chemo.

“I went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy over 6 months. My treatment went as well as I could have hoped for, and in October 2025, I got the good news that there were zero markers of cancer in my blood. I went back to work as soon as I could, anxious to move forward with my life.

“Unfortunately, a blood test taken a few weeks later indicated that the cancer was back. At the end of January, I had a PET scan that showed cancer markers in the lymph nodes, one directly behind my pancreas and another near my liver, while a third is in my esophagus. A biopsy confirmed that I had stage 4 cancer. The current plan is three months of chemotherapy to shrink the tumors followed by surgery to remove them. There is no guarantee with this plan. One surgeon has said the tumors are too deep and spread out to make surgery viable. My oncologist thinks I have a fighting chance and wants a second opinion once chemo is complete.

“I’m not ready to give up yet. I’m fighting as hard as I can to beat this thing. But I could use some help. I know that money is tight for most of us, but if you could give $5 and then share my story with three others—friends, family, or co-workers—who also give $5, then perhaps I can keep from losing my home and my car so I can get back and forth to treatment and continue to have a safe place to live."

We appreciate any help you can give Shantel. Thank you.