Everybody knows somebody who is in a battle with cancer, and we’re hoping that we can help use some stories from people in our lives who are working on overcoming a cancer diagnosis in order to help further fund cancer research. Below, you’ll read the story of Kevin Bjerke, is a close friend of ours who has been working to help others find a cure after he was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic Common Bile Duct cancer.
Against all odds, Kevin is doing amazing, especially considering that just two years ago his expected survival was five percent. He is still working towards his cure and is finding fulfillment in giving back to others who are persevering in the face of a cancer diagnosis. Kevin was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Man & Woman of the Year” award, and the nomination allows him to help spread awareness and raise funds for cancer research over a 10-week period, which will end on May 7th. In a call to action, Kevin recently wrote about his diagnosis and why helping to fund cancer research is so important for him.
Also, before we share Kevin’s story, we just wanted to take a moment to explain why cancer research and support has taken on an added emphasis in the Silverman household. Recently, we found out that my 14-year-old niece was diagnosed with cancer the same week that Kevin reached out with his message. The timing could not have been more coincidental. She’ll begin Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy for stage IV Lymphoma this week, and working to help others like her as they get closer to curing cancer is now a calling for the Silverman family. So if you’re able to, I hope you’ll strongly consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society alongside Kevin, who is working with Team Joely during his 10-week campaign. Here’s his story.
Kevin’s Story And Team Joely
“I felt relatively young being diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Forty-nine years old seemed premature. When I looked at how much life I had to live and the things that I wanted to do it felt early to be given this death sentence. As many might do, I began searching for others like me. I joined a private Facebook group created and dedicated for patients of Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma. There were only a few other patients who were near my age. Most of the other people were older. This reinforced my view that I was young. That was until I met Joely.
I decided to introduce myself publicly on the Facebook group to share my experience and my outlook. I received numerous responses to my post. I am one of those people that feels the need to respond to every comment made. As I responded with the “thank you for your kind words” to what they had written about me, I was stopped in my tracks as I read this response.
“Thank you so much for sharing! You have a good way with words. I am 24 years old and was diagnosed this past July with Stage IV. It has metastasized to my liver, both lungs and lymph nodes. The tumors on my liver and lungs are innumerable. I am also inoperable. Before my diagnosis I was very much into the health and fitness world. I’ve followed the Keto diet along with fasting before, and for the past couple of years I’ve been Whole Foods plant based along with intermittent fasting, but unfortunately that didn’t prevent the disease. I will continue to fill myself with proper nutrition, while my mom works on being an advocate – she’s done an amazing job and we are hoping to get a third opinion at MD Anderson. Thank you again for sharing your inspiring story!”
Upon reading this, I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to react much less respond. All of my defenses to rationalize my cancer felt powerless. All of those barriers that I used to protect my emotions from this unexpected change to my future no longer held up. How do I console this? What do I say? What kind of words of encouragement could I possibly write? I wrote something that did not have much meaning and rang hollow for how I truly felt.
Joely is a vibrant 24-year-old who has a love of family, animals and exploring nature. She has golden blond-hair, athletic build and a smile that stretches from ear to ear. Some people have a partial grin when they smile, not Joely. She has one of those full-faced smiles that will cause the person she is smiling at to do the same.
She was born and raised in San Diego California. She was raised by Helen and John. Both her parents were born outside of the United States. John was born and raised in New Zealand. He has an athletic background. John is an avid Mountain biker and came to the United States to play Rugby. Helen was born in Argentina. She was a marathon runner and triathlete. Between the athletic genes they passed on and raising her in an athletic lifestyle, it’s no surprise that Joely also adopted a lifestyle of physical fitness and adventure. Joely, played volleyball, soccer, water polo, swim, and rugby. The final sport making her Kiwi father very proud.
Joely grew up as an only child. She was loved and nurtured by her parents through constant attention and family adventures. Growing up only 30 minutes from Mexico allowed for many family trips there. Other family adventures consisted of trips to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Australia, and her favorite Tanzania. Anytime she can be out in nature and around animals is when she feels the most alive. The safari in Tanzania was what she would describe as a bucket list experience. When asked, her favorite memory is swimming in the Indian Ocean and making eye contact with a wild dolphin.
Her childhood was picture perfect. It was just mom, dad, and daughter. Her memories are filled with camping, learning how to body surf with dad and going to cheer on mom at marathons. Friends growing up best described the three as the “cool family”. To the envy of others, they were the ones always going on fun adventures for the weekends.
Like many young people growing up, she entered college not knowing exactly where her passions lay. She eventually landed on what it was. She fell in love with Sustainability. She saw the reality of what is happening to or planet. Through this she found her calling in life. Her mission is to help ease the suffering of the planet and its inhabitants. By aligning her passion with academics, she ended up on the Deans list. She would graduate August 2021 from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Sustainability.
Once she finished college, she became a vegan and adopted a lifestyle of regular yoga practice. Life was good for Joely. Then as it has a way of doing, it all changed in a flash. Joelys health began to unexpectedly deteriorate. She looked for answers as to why. Through a long, drawn-out process, she was eventually diagnosed with Stage IV Cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare form of cancer that begins in the bile duct tubes. Approximately 8,000 cases are diagnosed each year. It is not genetic and there is no known reason known why people get this cancer. The average age of diagnosis is 70. Joelys cancer began in the bile duct tubes and has since metastasized to the liver, lungs, bones, and the lymph nodes. She has gone to the best cancer centers in the United States. She has gone through chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments. She experiences nausea along with extreme pain. Her courage battling cancer would make even the most hardened of war veterans proud of her strength, effort, and bravery.
Being put in such an undesirable circumstance can and will often crush the psyche of most people. Stage IV cancer is a seemingly endless rollercoaster of hopelessness to hope to hopelessness again. Even through all of this at such a young age, her goals are simple. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and use her platform to bring awareness to protecting the environment and asking the world to be kind to animals. Everyday is a battle of searching for inner growth and meaning while also dealing with the fear and dread that Stage IV cancer brings with it. She is an inspiration to face the sobering odds and physical struggle from the side effects of chemotherapy and the other treatments. She is a light that represents the best of humanity. Being bigger than the moment and searching for growth and looking to help others. In a world where so many want to ignore the difficult work of looking inward and improving their hearts and minds while at the same time pointing the finger outward at the world to blame for their problems. She is different and doing the opposite. She is doing the difficult work of reflecting inward for growth then sharing that with the world.
I was so inspired by this young person. I am humbled. People say that they find inspiration from me through my cancer journey. I find inspiration from her. I realized that I have been too passive in all of this. I accepted cancer as a plight and struggle that humanity has been, is and will continue to deal with. There was a part of me that felt that cancer is like a force of nature. I had no feeling towards it. For the first time, I felt the sense that this is not fair. This is not right. I need to get active and do my part to help in the struggle. I have made peace with my own situation and whatever that outcome may be, but I need to do more to help the situation of the people that will come after me. This is why I decided to get involved and help use the story of Joely as my guiding light of what perseverance looks like. The best of humanity in the body and spirit of a twenty-four-year-old.
Over the next 10 weeks, Team Joely has a goal of raising $50,000 to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in their mission of finding cures for blood cancer and helping blood cancer patients. If we accomplish this, we’ll have the opportunity to name a research award in Joely’s honor. There are many reasons to be proud to support LLS’s efforts. For instance, approximately 40% of new cancer therapies approved by the FDA since 2000 were first approved for blood cancer patients. And many of these LLS-supported therapies not only help blood cancer patients but are now approved to treat patients with rare forms of stomach and skin cancers, and noncancerous diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. They’re even being tested in clinical trials for patients with a range of cancers including lung, brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers, and noncancerous diseases such as diabetes and lupus. It truly takes a village to take on an opponent like cancer and LLS is an organization that is making an impact with the dollars it raises.
I invite you to join our efforts by making a tax-deductible donation to the LLS in support of Team Joely in one of the following ways:
- Donating to my webpage: https://pages.lls.org/mwoy/mn/MN22/kbjerke
- Sending a check made out to LLS directly to me at:
Kevin Bjerke
469 Valleywood Circle
Golden Valley, MN 55422
- Scanning
the QR code at the bottom of the page by holding your phone’s camera up to the image and then clicking on the link that pops up, this will route you to my donation page as well. - If your company has a matching gifts program, please make sure to take advantage of that.
the QR code at the bottom of the page by holding your phone’s camera up to the image and then clicking on the link that pops up, this will route you to my donation page as well.If you’d like to join Team Joely, to raise awareness and funds alongside us, please let me know! I thank you in advance for supporting this incredible need. I’ll keep you posted on how the campaign goes. For now, I am grateful for your friendship and support.
~ Kevin