Jonathan Kirby Stage 4 Cancer

Jonathan, more often referred to as Kirby, attends the University of St. Augustine and is in his last semester of didactic work in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. He will be approaching graduation in December of 2023. Kirby has served as a class representative for the blue cohort and advocacy liaison for our Student Association. Kirby's smile is bright enough to light up the whole room, and he is always willing to help his peers in the classroom. He has worked hard over the past six semesters to maintain a high GPA, spending extended hours at the school and perfecting his skills to become one of the best clinicians in the field. While maintaining his grades, he also worked as a room monitor at the University. Kirby has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 Diffused Large B-cell Lymphoma and started chemotherapy at the beginning of March, which has caused him to miss classes, labs, exams, and other sufficient knowledge from the classroom experience. He refuses to give up on PT school and is continuing to balance his coursework while going through this diagnosis. With that, many costs are associated with his recent diagnosis, from deductibles to co-pays, medications, and transportation. On behalf of the Blue cohort, we would appreciate any amount given to provide our friend with the services he needs to remove some of the stress off him and his family. He is a true fighter and role model to us all.

Below is a brief history of Kirby’s medical conditions over the past few months.

Around 4 months ago, I felt a large mass under my armpit one day. I eventually went to get it checked out and had a needle biopsy performed. A week later, it came back as non-cancerous. After my 6-week clinical experience for school, the lymph node continued to grow, leading me to see a Hematologist. I then had it surgically removed, and about 3 weeks ago, I have diagnosed with Stage 4 Diffused Large B-cell Lymphoma. I am currently receiving treatment, which will consist of 8 hours of chemotherapy every 3 weeks for a total of 6 cycles and weekly blood tests to ensure my blood levels are appropriate to continue with my chemotherapy treatment.