The Jist of It

Hello Everyone!

My name is John Keimig. I am a recurrent osteosarcoma cancer survivor looking for money to help fund the medical expenses, travel fair, and lodging of an amazing study out at the University of California – Los Angeles which modifies my own T cells to locate, attack, and destroy cancer cell’s based on the cancer’s DNA. I will share more about the study later, but first I want to share a little about myself.

I am 26 now, with clear ambitions of what I want to do with my life, loved ones I would do anything for, and every reason I need to know that I’m destined to be here, but my beginnings with this disease were more humble. My journey starts back 10 years ago in 2006, with what doctors believed was a high ankle sprain. I was not able to run in track, and after a physical therapist I was seeing insisted I have x-rays performed on my ankle, we saw a mass growing in my lower tibia (shin bone) and pressing against my fibula. I remember leaving the doctor’s office not knowing what this meant. I noticed that my mom was silently weeping, and I put an arm around her and told her, “it’s gonna be okay. We got this.” To be honest I didn’t know what “this” was, but I knew right then that this journey wasn’t about me alone: it’s about my family, friends, dreams and ambitions, who I will become, and why it’s worth it to go through hell to emerge victorious on the other side.

Since that time I’ve went through multiple chemo regiments, dozens of surgeries, both on my leg and on my lungs where the cancer eventually spread years later, and more adversity than a single person should have to go through. However, I’ve learned much about myself, why I believe I’m destined to be here, and what I can accomplish in this world. There has been long periods of respite that have given my life direction and every reason I need to know I have to be here.

My longest period came during undergrad. After a relapse and getting back to no sign of disease my sophomore year of college, I attacked my regained life like a wildfire. While initially being as lost to what I want to do in college as the next student, I took courses in kinesiology (the study of movement) and an intro to physical therapy course. I found that I have a passion to help others get up and move and regain control of their bodies after injury, ailment, and disease. After all, I had plenty of experience myself in this field. The amazing physical therapists of my past as a patient had retaught me how to walk, how to exercise, and showed me all the things I can do after my various leg surgeries. Despite having a fused ankle and a donor bone, no one can tell I have had leg issues at this point, which is a testament to my physical therapists. While I once again have a health issue and have to play the role of the patient, I can’t wait for the opportunity to give back to others and help them regain their movement abilities. During this time I stopped feeling like a cancer patient, and gained confidence in the ability I have to impact this world and make a difference.