He\’s Fought, He\’s Fighting, He\’s Winning

This past Christmas, StoneBridge operator Dave Brown and his family have something to be very thankful for. Dave Brown has spent the majority of his professional career as one of the most dependable drivers in the industry. Dave has been with StoneBridge Trucking for over 6 years. While with StoneBridge, he has built a reputation of honesty, de-pendability, and character. When Dave is called to expedite a load, the answer is always “I am on my way”.

On a cold winter day in February 2015, something changed. Dave had to prior-itize and could no longer carry the dependability torch for StoneBridge. Dave had a history of having a fatty tumor on his left breast, but this time, something was  different. “In 3 weeks time, my breast had doubled in size and I was in extreme pain.” Dave’s fatty tumor was no longer a “tumor”. He had developed stage 3 (three) cancer and immediately needed 9 lymph nodes removed, 5 of which were cancerous.

As is the case with most cancer patients, Dave wasn\’t the only one affected by this life changing event. Norma, his wife and best friend of 12 years and daughter Ashley, were distraught and heartbroken over the news. “They both broke down in tears, and were extremely scared. I told them it would be ok and that we would get through this”.

In March 2015, Dave began post-operation treatment for his breast cancer.  He underwent 4 months of chemotherapy followed by 2 months of radiation thera-py. The US Navy veteran reflects on the experience as one of the most challenging in his life. “It absolutely zaps the energy out of you. I lost all of my hair, and it honestly ages you. I am recovering, but my energy levels are still low at times. Luckily I know I am strong and feel myself getting stronger.

Even though the story of cancer has no ending, this story continues to get better every day. In September 2015, Dave and his family received the news that he was IN REMISSION. To this day, Dave remains on medication and an estrogen block-er, but has a completely new outlook on life. He wants people to know “I am a survivor. Without prayer and family, I don’t know how I would have made it through. Today I don’t take anything for granted, and I don’t let the little things in life bother me. Importantly, I try to be courteous to every person I come in contact with.” This Christmas, Dave has a lot to be thankful for. A wonderful wife, daughter, two grandchildren, and importantly, LIFE!!!