Patient Stories

The scars of survivorship

Patient Stories

My stomach, swollen and on fire. The incisions, healing, burn. Too much pressure, and it felt like they will rip apart. My belly, round, in a perpetual state of fullness, pregnant with remnants of fear and freedom. My stomach is forever changed. It bears old scars, from teenage years and coming-of-age depression. But now five new scars cast wide shadows…

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Bruce Hill, Salima Witt on the Urology Care Foundation's blog

KCA, Patient Stories

Patient and Caregiver Advisory Council members Bruce Hill and Salima Witt were featured last month on the Urology Care Foundation's Care Blog. Bruce, a stage IV kidney cancer survivor and advocate, shared his tips for others who are recently diagnosed. Stage 4 Kidney Cancer Survivor Shares Tips on Gaining Control After a Devastating Diagnosis Salima, who was diagnosed with stage…

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PCAC member Bruce Hill featured in Cancer Today magazine

Patient Stories

Bruce Hill, a kidney cancer patient, patient advocate, and member of the KCA's Patient and Caregiver Advisory Council, was featured in the spring issue of Cancer Today, the American Association for Cancer Research's quarterly magazine. Bruce described his long road to an accurate stage IV clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) diagnosis and subsequent treatment with immunotherapy: The first clue ​that…

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Sarah helps others reduce stress through joy

Donor Story, Patient Stories

Sarah Rosner described her father Stanley as “a girl dad, for sure.” As a kid, they would go to the movies together and play card games. When Sarah moved to Chicago as an adult, Stanley would drive in from their family home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit and go to the zoo or out to lunch for dedicated father-daughter time.…

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“Life is meant to be lived, not just survived.”

Patient Stories

This is a guest post by Kenneth G. Winters, 70, a retired US Navy Chaplain from Massachusetts. I was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer in April 2018. The cancer had also spread to my bones. My oncologist, Dr. Kriti Mittal, shared gently with me, “I have to tell you that you are a very sick man.” Suffice it to…

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Newly a mom, Kayla got a cancer diagnosis

Patient Stories

Kayla's daughter Jane was born in June 2020, just a month before Kayla received a kidney cancer diagnosis. In June 2020, Kayla Bulkley gave birth to her and her husband's long-awaited baby girl, Jane.  Within a month, Kayla was diagnosed with kidney cancer.  "It was a Saturday and we were getting newborn photos done with Jane and I felt TERRIBLE,"…

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Ritchie Johnson on the Your Cancer Story Podcast

Patient Stories

Ritchie Johnson's son Chris was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) and died in 2012. Ritchie has since founded the Chris "CJ" Johnson Foundation and devoted herself to raising awareness and funds for this rare form of kidney cancer. In this Your Cancer Story podcast, Ritchie, shared her experience of caring for her son Chris and the impact it had…

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"Bills Mafia" honored late football player

Patient Stories

Last week, fans of the Buffalo Bills football team came together to honor former practice squad member Titus Davis, who died on November 11. Davis was 27 and had a rare, aggressive form of kidney cancer called renal medullary carcinoma (RMC). https://twitter.com/sanealexjones/status/1327118763829981187 Twitter user @sanealexjones called for the team's fans - the "Bills Mafia" - to donate to the Kidney…

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Decades of kidney cancer research support

Donor Story, Patient Stories

John Fudala and Barbara Gerzonich came together over food and science. John Fudala's Health Department ID photo, taken before his illness took hold. Photo courtesy of Barbara Gerzonich. They both worked in public health – on the same floor of the same food safety office in New York state. John specialized in tracking foodborne outbreaks while Barbara focused on food…

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Faith and family helped Craig through his kidney cancer journey

Patient Stories

Craig Dowdy was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation at age 62. That meant regular checks for blood clots. During one such check, a tumor was found on Craig’s left kidney.  Having never had any kidney cancer symptoms, Craig underwent surgery to remove the left kidney and tumor removed in 2012. The tissue surrounding his tumor appeared to be cancer free but…

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