If you were to commit to finding one person who didn’t like Jonny Imerman, you would be wasting a lot of time. Read any article, see any interview or listen to any speech Jonny has ever given and you will soon learn why so many people are drawn to this charismatic young man. I could easily go on about how engaging and passionate Jonny is, but these are only a few of the attributes that define who he is and why he is a Hero.
One of the first things Jonny is willing to share with anyone he meets for the first time is his personal story. A tale that makes most men cringe, Jonny comes right out and hits you straight with his past so he can quickly move on to his powerful vision and engaging mission. What helped mold Jonny’s purpose is his battle with testicular cancer, with which he was diagnosed in October 2001 at the age of 26. After five months of chemotherapy, Jonny thought he was on the road to recover. Nearly a year after treatment, however, a CT scan showed tumors along his spine. He again went in for surgery and had the tumors removed. Since then, Jonny has been cancer-free.
During his chemotherapy, Jonny noticed a difference between him and many other cancer fighters – he had the support of his family while many others were fighting this disease alone. While Jonny’s support group constantly filled him with hope, he found others to have little or no support to offer them the same strength Jonny’s family and friends had given him. He witnessed patients lying motionless watching TV or sitting in silence without any human interaction except that of the nurses coming to check in for a couple minutes on the hour. It was this experience that made Jonny wonder, “What if every cancer fighter could talk to a cancer survivor, who not only had beaten the same type of cancer, but who also was the same age and gender as the fighter?” The cancer survivor would be an angel¾walking, living proof that the fighter could win too.
Jonny recognized the need and impact for a connection between a cancer fighter and a cancer survivor. His response is Imerman Angels. Jonny works every day to match a person fighting cancer not only with someone who has survived cancer, but a person of a similar demographic who survived the same type of cancer. This concept seems so obvious, yet no one has stepped up to take on the challenge of implementing this benevolent cause prior to Jonny. His model is being embraced by oncology departments across the region, and angels have already responded from around the world. The reach of this pairing is as limitless and blind as cancer itself, and it is widely accepted that a positive attitude, often accompanied by a strong support group, is one of the most successful treatments in defeating this disease. It certainly seems as though Jonny and his angels have found a way to take hold of cancer fight it head-on.
The amazing connections made by Imerman Angels are a direct reflection of the amazing personality embodied by Jonny Imerman. His struggle is one experienced by far too many people. His perseverance is shared with countless others, but his determination and ability to gather people around him and resolve to making an impact to ensure that no one has to struggle alone is truly heroic.
To become an Angel or to find out more about this cause, visit www.ImermanAngels.org.
Written and Edited by Randy Dill
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