Brian Ross spent his life in the food service industry. After time away due to a cancer diagnosis, he’s now back working, providing food for those in need. And he’s learned the value of giving back despite a few major curveballs life has thrown his way.
Brian had spent a lifetime working in every part of the food industry, from washing dishes to owning a restaurant, when in 2012 his mother was diagnosed with dementia. Suddenly, Brian was forced to leave the industry and became a caregiver, providing 24-hour care.
It was six years later that fate threw Brian’s life into turmoil again. Brian went to see a doctor just before Thanksgiving for what he thought was constipation. But scans revealed a tumor blocking his small intestine.
Brian was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, a rare form of incurable cancer. Despite multiple surgeries, the cancer spread enough that he was diagnosed as stage four. This was all while during the first year of his diagnosis, he was still providing care for his mother. It all started to take a toll, and as Brian said, things were destitute at one point, with little income coming in.
“Asking for help is the hardest thing in the world for somebody to do,” Brian said. “But once you say, hey, I need some help, the compassion shown is amazing.”
Thankfully, Brian found a few places willing to help. The navigator at Northern Lights Cancer Center put him in touch with the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF), and they were able to help pay an electric bill, which provided tremendous assistance. But what Brian was finding was that it isn’t just about paying the bill, but what that bit of security provided.
“When a person is diagnosed with cancer, everything becomes a concern, everything becomes an unknown. And when a little stability is put into place, it helps. It helps so much with the psyche. It helps take a little bit of pressure off. Now I can focus on something that I haven’t been able to focus on because I’ve been worried about that bill.”
JAF wasn’t the only helping hand Brian found, and it stemmed from his background in food. He also received help from the Christine B. Foundation, a Maine-based group that provides weekly nutrition packets for patients. It helped take away another worry. And more crucially, it gives some hope.
“So much of this is perspective. If you want to be morbid and unhappy about things, you can be that all day long when it comes to cancer. But if you can find those sparks, those connections, it makes all the difference. Much of the cure for this disease lies in hope and a positive attitude. So any time that you can instill that in somebody, it’s priceless.”
After two and a half years of intense battle with the disease, Brian received some good news. A deeper scan found a tumor lower in his digestive system that had been the one causing all of his symptoms. A third surgery removed this tumor, and as a result, he hasn’t had any further treatment since. Amazingly, despite still being officially stage four and still having some remaining tumors, they are indolent for now. And it’s allowed him to live life again.
And with that life, Brian has given back. After receiving help from the program, he started volunteering with the Christine B. Foundation. He eventually built a relationship with the program’s founder, Matt Dexter, and Brian is now working for the Foundation as its program director.
“With a cancer diagnosis, you go through such an incredible change in your value system. I had never volunteered in my life before, but all of a sudden, I discovered what giving back meant and the positive impact it has on one’s life. I learned so much about humility. I learned about compassion. It was such a learning experience that it turned me into a very different person. And to this day, the most incredible things that I experience are interactions with patients and knowing that we’ve made a difference in their lives.”
Organizations like the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and its friends at the Christine B. Foundation have a significant impact on patients, not just for the help they offer, but also for what that help provides on a deeper level.
“The compassion that’s out there changes people. And the Joe Andruzzi Foundation is a huge part of that.”
Note: JAF’s Programs staff recently met with Brian and others at the Christine B. Foundation as part of their working partnership around food insecurity. It was through their conversations JAF learned of Brian’s story and wanted to share his inspiring journey with our community!
