articles

“My Voice and Our Mission” by Jonny Imerman

"My Voice and Our Mission" by Jonny Imerman

I am a testicular cancer survivor. I was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1975. When I was just a baby, my parents divorced, and we moved to a suburb of Detroit called Bloomfield Hills. I attended Cranbrook Kingswood School from kindergarten through high school. After graduation, I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I earned […]


“Check Yer Nuts!” by Matt Wakefield

"Check Yer Nuts!" by Matt Wakefield

My name is Matt Wakefield. I’m 29, engaged to a beautiful lady and have two amazing twins, Sammy and Bethany. I also have one nut. Yep, I’m a Testicular Cancer Survivor. I was diagnosed with cancer in June 2000, almost ten years ago. But that was only after ignoring a small pea-sized lump on my […]


“Self Advocacy” by Mike Tufo

“Self Advocacy” by Mike Tufo

“Self Advocacy” in “High Quality” Medical Institutions and the importance of making YOUR VOICE heard. An Essay on medical “ignorance” when in a facility “unfamiliar” with YOUR medical history. By Michael D. Tufo, R.T.(CT) ARRT (Synovial Sarcoma/Lung Mets “Survivor” and Medical Imaging Professional.) TO begin with: I have been in the field of Medical Imaging […]


The Story of Founding “Yes” by Executive Director: Suzanne Lindley

The Story of Founding “Yes” by Executive Director: Suzanne Lindley

Cancer. Stage IV colon cancer. Eleven years ago these were words that filled my life with fear.  They evoked thoughts of suffering. A bald head. Nausea. Fatigue. And even death. In the years since those words and my life first intertwined, I’ve learned that other things cause greater fear, that suffering is not what I’ve done, that bald heads can be covered – […]


“The Testicle Tour” by Nick O’Hara Smith

“The Testicle Tour” by Nick O’Hara Smith

The “Testicle Tour” came to my attention early in 2009. I’d just joined Facebook to raise my profile. I lost both testicles 22 years ago and am on a mission. My sister says I am obsessed ! She may well be right. Three months after I lost my testicles, I made a decision to abandon […]


“First Descents” by Brad Ludden

“First Descents” by Brad Ludden

This is the first entry into the ‘Articles’ section of “Voices of Survivors”. I have asked Brad, the Founder of “First Descents”, to share his story of developing his organization and what makes it so successful for those ‘Survivors’ who take part in the challenge. So without further ado, I give you Brad Ludden. Brad […]