STORIES OF COURAGE


Easton Koelker

2023 Courage Ridge Patient Honoree

My name is Easton Koelker, and I am proud to say that I am a Cancer Survivor.

My journey began April 29th, 2021. Before I knew my life was about to do a complete 360-degree turn, I was just a normal 17-year-old in high school who was social and stayed as active as I could.

It all started out with a small lump on my upper left thigh that we first thought was a knot. After about a month of trying to get the lump to go away we decided to get an MRI in Dubuque. After we got the results from the MRI, we were told to get an appointment with specialists in Iowa City as soon as we could.

read more about Easton

 
seth.jpg

Seth A. Bailey

In November 1995, seventeen-year-old Seth Bailey was passionate about sports. A junior at Iowa Mennonite High School, he was surprised when a sore leg turned into something serious. A diagnose of soft-tissue synovial sarcoma cancer came as a shock to all who knew Seth. His family and friends rallied around him while he learned that his best chance to defeat cancer was...

read more about Seth

 

Laura Liddle

2022 Courage Ridge Patient Honoree

In August of 2019, my life forever changed. I was working part time as a speech pathologist and raising two little boys with my husband Lucas. Cancer was not on our radar.  The first sign that something was wrong was an ache in my hamstring. I noticed it when walking long distances or when standing for long periods of time. I ignored it, thinking it was a torn or inflamed muscle that would get better. I then developed a lump in my muscle about the size of a quarter…

read more about Laura

 
Steven Pic 1.jpg

Steven Danna

2021 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

I am Steven Danna, a cancer survivor.

June 14th, 2019, my life would be forever changed when the doctors told me that I had been diagnosed with an osteosarcoma.

Every high school athlete's dream is to perform at the varsity level. My sophomore season was no different, other than the pain I began experiencing at the beginning of the season. The pain in my right knee was excruciating at times, but I never thought anything of it…

read more about Steven

 

Amy Harper

2020 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

Just a few years ago, I was a single woman in her mid 30s living alone in a big old house in Gilman, Iowa, working long, hard hours as a family therapist, teaching a few psychology courses on the side, and baking LOTS of cupcakes for what had turned from a hobby into my little side business. I spent any spare time serving in ministries with my church or traveling as often as my bank account would allow. My life was full and I was juggling a lot of things, but deep within me, there was a longing for something more—a family of my own. I wondered if that dream would ever come true….

 

Abbey Almelien

Abbey Almelien has never been happier in her life! She calls herself “Princess Abbey” because of all the love and support that surrounds her. Abby looks forward to her life; she has no responsibilities to distract from her appreciating every moment as it comes along, she has a strong faith and a new boyfriend who shares her understanding about what really matters in life...

read more about Abbey

 
andrea.jpg

Andrea Koopman

It all started in the Fall of 2009 when my left ankle seemed a bit swollen. I shrugged it off for a few months thinking I must have landed on my foot wrong after getting off my bicycle one day. The swelling didn't get better and there seemed to be something hard under the swelling. On Halloween when my husband and I had our engagement photos taken, I remember my ankle hurt...

read more about Andrea

 
anne.jpg

Anne Bruflat

It had been growing steadily for several months -- from the size of a lima bean to a walnut. I had been to three different doctors who all said the same thing.."don't worry about it - it is a sebaceous cyst and is harmless". Music to my ears --- a busy mom tying up loose ends getting ready to move cross country (house on the market, finishing out kids school year, saying goodbye...

read more about Anne

 

Bob Volz

In May of 2014, Bob Volz was a happy and healthy 34-year-old husband to Katie and father to two little boys, PJ (3) and Henry (1). Some chest pains over Memorial Day weekend concerned him enough to get a chest X-ray. Next thing he knew, Bob was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma (Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma) in his chest....

read more about Bob

 
 

Cynthia Thayer

Hello - My name is Cynthia Thayer. I am a 41 year old mother of 3 who has been a Leiomyosarcoma soldier since 2006. I was diagnosed after being treated for what was believed to be uteran fibroids. During a routine exam with my gynocologist, it was decided to proceed with a procedure that will help me with some monthly issues. I was experiencing...

read more about Cynthia

 

Dan Sorrell

Dan Sorrell’s story began in December, 2003. After spitting up blood, he was diagnosed with acid reflux. Then, in November, 2005, with a recurrence, a tumor was found in his airway. After additional testing at Mercy Hospital the doctor said, ‘There is nothing we can do for you here. You have a tumor about the size of a grapefruit in your lung...

read more about Dan

 

Devin Martz

2017 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

In May of 2016, 10 year-old Devin Martz was diagnosed with osteosarcoma cancer in his left leg after being seen for what his family initially thought was a knee injury from playing football. This is where Devin's sarcoma story begins...

read more about Devin

 
 

Elene Heeren

In October 2006, my husband Duane and I moved from southwest to central Iowa to be two and a half hours closer to each of our four children and their families. Coming along with me was a bone on bone right knee needing replacement and two rather large lumps. One lump was on my left shoulder and had been diagnosed at Mayo in 1995 as a...

read more about Elene

 

Emma Will

Emma was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, in August of 2009 at the age of 17. She received treatment through the Mayo Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota...

read more about Emma

 

Fletcher Summa

I sat in the waiting room on February 8, 2013 in the Cancer Center preparing to tell Dr. Mo that I didn’t want to do this anymore. My treatment was entering the 11th month and my body was bloated and scarred and bore little resemblance to my pre-diagnosis self. I looked around the waiting room and I focused on what I wanted to say to Dr. Mo and settled in to wait for my name to be called...

read more about Fletcher

 

Hannah First

Hannah was a black belt in tae kwon do, and when she began to experience leg pain, the last thing we ever thought was cancer. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 11.

read more about Hannah

 
 

Jessica Sergeant

My adventure with cancer began six years ago in 2007 when I was just 25. I had just got married eight months before my first diagnosis, we were settling into our first home that we purchased and had all the hopes and dreams of starting a family. I am a long distance runner and had done my first marathon in 2005. I was extremely active in martial arts also.

read more about Jessica

 

Jim Burkhart

In January of 2011, my husband Jim Burkhart felt a lump on the back of his left thigh. After seeing his physical therapist, Jim was sent in for an MRI, which led to a biopsy. In April of 2011, Jim was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma and in May of that year, he had his left leg amputated in attempts to give him the best chance at life…

read more about Jim

 

Kelly Bender

I met Kelly VanderWerff in 2002 on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend. I was immediately drawn to her intelligence, sense of humor, and exuding optimism....

read more about Kelly

 
edited.jpg

Kelsey Lee

In June of 2004, at the age of 14, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Synovial Cell Sarcoma with Mets to my lungs. I underwent 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 8 weeks of radiation treatments. After treatments and surgeries I was thought to be cured. Then in March of 2006, at the age of 16, I was diagnosed with Biphenotypic Leukemia. They believe this was caused by...

read more about Kelsey

 
MindeVarun.jpg

Minde Strief

2018 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

I am sharing my journey for Sarcoma Awareness Month to help support what University of Iowa Health Care does to continually make strides to find cures and improve lives, and to reach out to others around the world who need hope, advice, a shoulder to cry on, laughter to get them through the tough times.

read more about Minde

 

Nathan Detweiller

In September 2004, Nathan Detweiller had a bicycle accident while attending college in Indiana. His bike hit a tree and Nathan was flipped over the handlebars! Nathan sought medical attention and through the course of the workup a chest x-ray revealed some enlarged lymph nodes...

read more about Nathan

 

Nick Peck

Almost one third of Nick’s short life was spent searching for a treatment that would help him overcome cancer. He modeled determination, courage, strength, amazing fortitude, constant faith and a wonderfully positive attitude. He inspired others by never complaining about pain until it was so severe he couldn’t stand it. He focused on what he could do rather than feel sorry about what he couldn’t do…

read more about Nick

 
edited.jpg

Nik Jiruska

2015 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

My name is Nikolas Jiruska and I recently finished receiving chemotherapy treatments to fight a rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma. This disease primarily affects children and adolescents, but I was diagnosed...

read more about Nik

 

Parker Kress

2019 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

My name is Parker Kress, and I’m a cancer survivor. I was told on Dec. 6, 2014, that doctors suspected I had a type of sarcoma. I was 13 years old. It all started one night when I felt unexplained pain in my right ankle….

read more about Parker

 

Peyton Harvey

Peyton Harvey is a 15 year old young man from Marshalltown, Iowa. He attends East Marshall High School and will be a sophomore this year. He is active in East Marshall sports in Football and Track. He is also on the improv team. He is very active and his favorite activities are video games, golf, hunting, fishing, hiking and rock climbing. His favorite teams are the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Oakland Raiders...

 

read more about Peyton

 
 

Rachel Debeer

As I recall, the aching at the back of my left leg - a bit above the knee - began in May of 2008. It was not very painful, just a nuisance. It did not interfere with my daily routines, and I thought I had just strained a muscle while working out on the equipment at Curves. I told myself that it would eventually resolve itself. Whenever I had to bend the leg, such as when...

read more about Rachel

 

Trent Phillips

2016 Courage Ride Patient Honoree

My story began early in 2015. After slipping on a patch of ice, I noticed a large lump in my left thigh. At 34 years old, still with a young man’s false sense of immortality, I didn’t think much of it, passing it off as a pulled hamstring. As weeks turned into months, my condition slowly became more of an issue. After stern encouragement from my wife, I reluctantly went to our local clinic in June to get a doctor’s opinion....

read more about Trent