From “Inoperable” to Indefatigable – never stop seeking options

Jason R., a 40-year-old Navy veteran and digital cartographer was initially told there were no curative options for his metastatic colon cancer. In 2018, at age 35, he was blindsided by a Stage 4 diagnosis: a massive tumor at the rectum-colon junction and numerous lesions covering most of his liver. Despite intensive chemotherapy and targeted treatments, local specialists deemed his disease inoperable.

Determined to find hope, Jason turned to an online community called Colontown. Their recommendations led him to City of Hope in California, where world-renowned liver surgeon Dr. Yuman Fong and colorectal surgeon Dr. Andreas Kaiser performed a lifesaving 12-hour operation. They removed the entire right side of Jason’s liver, eliminated the rectosigmoid tumor, and created an ostomy to allow healing. Further procedures tackled cancer in his lung and tailbone.

Today, Jason is thriving. He has lived without chemotherapy for over two years and has been declared “NED” (no evidence of disease) for 16 months. Grateful for the care he received, Jason now serves as a resource for others in the colorectal cancer community and dreams of building the “Kohala Healing House” retreat in Hawaii to help survivors find spiritual and physical renewal.facing advanced colon cancer.