Feb. 4 is World Cancer Day. At UF Health, patients are at the center of everything we do. Every cancer patient’s story is different, and we are reminded of the power of storytelling to unite us and empower healing. Below, patients and survivors shared, in their own words, what healing means to them and what gives them hope.
Jess Thornton
Jess Thornton was vigilant about getting her cancer screenings. With a family history of breast cancer, she got breast imaging annually.
In July 2024, a few months before her 40th birthday, Jess went in for a breast MRI, assuming it would be another routine appointment. She was in good health, with her bubbly miracle baby girl just over a year old and a fulfilling job in billing and coding at UF Health.
But the results that popped up on her phone were a shock: Her breasts looked clear, but the MRI had picked up lesions on her liver, visible in the periphery of the imaging. Jess barely had time to absorb the implications before she was hit by more head-spinning news, delivered on her phone the same day: routine dental imaging showed her beloved Irish terrier, Danny Boy, had throat cancer.
Jess soon had a diagnosis: Stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver and lymph nodes. She was immediately thrust into grueling, high-dose radiation treatments, long days of chemo infusions, surgeries, blood transfusions, imaging and seemingly endless appointments.
About six months into her treatment, we talked with Jess about her experience as a patient with cancer for a podcast on World Cancer Day. A year later, through setbacks and trials, the loss of Danny Boy and the impromptu joys of toddlerhood, Jess is redefining hope and resilience.
“Healing for me is finding the moments of hope and gratitude,” she said. “I think if you can find those, it allows you to heal through the process, through the day, the small things and the bigger things. Finding the things to be thankful for and the things that give you hope, that heals me inside and out.” — Jess Thornton
Terence Pollard
Alachua resident Terence Pollard was 52 and in good health with no symptoms when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. His primary care doctor at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center had urged him to take a Cologuard test, which screens for colon cancer through stool samples.
Today, Terence is a survivor who uses his story to raise awareness of colon cancer. He’s an ambassador for Fight Colorectal Cancer , a national advocacy group, and has participated in two of the group’s Climb for a Cure fundraisers. Locally, he’s a cancer research and intervention advocate through the UF Health Cancer Institute’s Community-Partnered Cancer Disparities Research Collaborative and a member of its Community Advisory Board.
Terence’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of cancer screening and early detection.
“What healing means to me is I have a second chance at life. I have opportunities to see my grandkids. I have a second chance to see my kids. I have a second chance at taking a bite at the apple of life. Some things I always wanted to do, I’m doing now. I have opportunities to travel, to advocate, to be a face that I survived colon cancer.” — Terence Pollard
Terence underwent chemotherapy and radiation to treat his colorectal cancer. After six years of treatment and follow-up scans, this January marked three years since he was given a clean bill of health and cleared to stop getting follow-up scans.
He stresses that colorectal cancer is now the deadliest cancer for people younger than 50. For anyone hesitant to go to a doctor or get checked, he has a simple message:
“It’s better to know than not know because the sooner you find out, the more options you have,” Terence said. “If I had delayed doing the test for even a little while longer, I may not be here today. As soon as possible, get checked.”
For those newly diagnosed with cancer, he highlights the importance of finding community.
“The most important advice I give everyone is to make sure you have support team in place, whether that be family, whether that be church members or whether that be someone in the community, who can assist you through the process,” he said. “Because there’s going to be up days and down days.”
As a cancer survivor, Terence makes his health a priority, with the goal of working out every day and eating healthy foods.
“Every cancer patient always has in the back of their mind the thought of, ‘will this cancer come back?’” Terence said. “That’s why I try to do as much as I can do on the front end. You are empowered to take care of yourself.”
Glynn Stalvey Jr.
“Healing means trying to grasp what my new ‘normal’ will be and moving forward in life. Getting back to the things I enjoyed prior to the cancer diagnosis. Healing means keeping your chin up and staying strong.” — Glynn Stalvey, Jr.
In August, Glynn, of Fort White, was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the mandibular alveolar ridge and two cancerous lymph nodes in the neck. He underwent surgery for jaw reconstruction and removal of 22 lymph nodes on Oct. 15. After surgery, he began a series of 30 radiation treatments. Yesterday, on Feb. 3, he completed his 30th radiation treatment, marking the end of active treatment.
Glynn’s story is a powerful reminder of courage in the face of the toughest challenges. On World Cancer Day, he shared some of his perspective as a patient with cancer.
Q: What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with cancer?
A: Research as much as possible and educate yourself on what you are facing. It definitely helps your mental health state to know what is ahead of you.
Q: What is something that keeps you going on the hard days of cancer treatment?
A: My two grandchildren and my wife are my driving force to keep going on the hardest days.
Karen Miller
Karen Miller, J.D., is a patient advocate and member of the UF Health Cancer Institute’s Community Advisory Board and Scientific Review and Monitoring Committee. On Sept. 11, 2001, she was a New York City employee who, like many NYC employees, was assigned to government offices near the World Trade Center. Like others, she was directed to return to work after 9/11 before the full extent of the danger caused by the attack was known.
Karen was a patient in one of the many studies at NYU post-9/11 that used low-dose CT scans to monitor people who were exposed to toxins. The screening uses detailed cross-sectional images of the body and can detect lung cancer early so it can be treated and cured.
For Karen, the screening led to a lung cancer diagnosis. She had moved to Gainesville by the time she was diagnosed, so she chose to have surgery at UF Health in 2010. The surgery entailed removing the lower lobe of her left lung. She has been monitored at UF ever since and is officially certified as a 9/11 survivor by the World Trade Center program.
“What gives me hope is that people who choose to have low-dose CT lung scans can be diagnosed with lung cancer early enough so that treatment will be effective. This screening takes just a few minutes, is not painful and, in most cases, is covered by insurance.” — Karen Miller
