Todd Yuen

My cancer journey began in fall 2022 with swollen gums, mouth sores, and months of flu-like symptoms. After many doctor visits, I went to the hospital on January 3, 2023, and got the news. Cancer. My best chance was chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.

I spent over three months in the hospital facing treatment and complications. Just a few months later, in July, the cancer returned. A second transplant wasn’t an option, and my treatment choices were limited.

Thankfully, I responded well and reached remission for a year and a half!

In September 2024, what was said would require a miracle happened. My wife was pregnant and we were expecting our third!

Then, Christmas 2024, I felt unwell again. After a week in the ICU, I learned the cancer was back. With heart complications, I began my only remaining treatment option.

I wasn’t sure I would get to watch my daughter’s birth or to watch my kids grow as it seemed the odds were against me. Today, I’m in remission and receiving monthly chemotherapy.

Through all of this, I realized it’s not the disease that defines the journey, it’s the people. The friends who reach out, the meals dropped off for my wife, the strangers offering support. I’ve learned the only way through is to lean on your community. I choose to be optimistic for what is next, regardless of my options. My cup is, and always will be, half full.

If I could offer any advice to someone in my shoes or learning of their diagnosis: look around. See the people who care about you. Let them in. Lean on them. That’s your community.

And always be kind to your nurses!