John was diagnosed with Stage III Non-Small Lung Cancer Adenocarcinoma on December 9, 2014. After a pet scan and a Brain MRI he was told it was actually Stage IV! The cancer had metastasized to his kidney, liver, adrenal gland, bones, spine and brain. John was getting ready to start chemo on December 31, 2014 and the Oncologist told him that "he won the lottery." They discovered with genetic testing that John had a rare gene mutation called ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase), so he was able to start targeted therapy at home. John was on four different TKI’s (Crizotinib, Ceritinib, Alectinib and Lorlatinib), which were able to extend his life by almost 10 years. He had multiple rounds of radiation to his lung, hip, spine, brain and 3 craniotomies. John’s body was stable for years, but the cancer kept getting into his brain no matter what we did. He went so far as to even having gamma tiles inserted into his brain, but that didn’t work either. John had a lot of complications through his journey, but nothing ever stopped him from living. John was enrolled in many different research studies at Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Mass General Hospital. He was always willing to go the extra mile to help others and hopefully one day find a cure. And he will always be remembered for his infectious personality, laughter, big heart and contagious smile that could truly light up any room. His personal mantra was “Never Give Up”, which he and Denise stood by until his very last breath on September 10, 2024.