The hardest thing as a cancer survivor is not the idea of dying,
but finding yourself in remission, facing the possibility of losing the ability to do what you once could.
In my case, it was seeing the world.
When I was a baby, I was diagnosed with retina blastoma and lost my left eye to cancer. Privileged with mostly good health throughout my childhood, my world almost collapsed shortly after my 15th birthday, when my ophthalmologist found another tumorous growth in my only good eye.
The bad news dropped like an anchor; I would go into surgery with the possibility that I would come out completely blind. As a kid who was already half-blind, this was not the most ideal situation.
Dressed in a ridiculous blue hospital gown, I anxiously waited for the operation.
Deep down, I also desperately wished for two things:
Since that day, I’ve traveled to 26 countries and my maturity level occasionally reflects one of a rambunctious 7-year old. Oh, and I'm still half-blind, but who knows where technology will lead us in the next few decades?
In 2014, we launched the Cartwheel Project, a movement where people around the world captured a moment in time when they were mid-cartwheel in front of a local landmark.
90 friends and strangers not only shared amazing cartwheel pictures (IG: @cartwheelproject), but also raised $1200 to the BC Cancer Foundation.
In my case, it was seeing the world.
When I was a baby, I was diagnosed with retina blastoma and lost my left eye to cancer. Privileged with mostly good health throughout my childhood, my world almost collapsed shortly after my 15th birthday, when my ophthalmologist found another tumorous growth in my only good eye.
The bad news dropped like an anchor; I would go into surgery with the possibility that I would come out completely blind. As a kid who was already half-blind, this was not the most ideal situation.
Dressed in a ridiculous blue hospital gown, I anxiously waited for the operation.
Deep down, I also desperately wished for two things:
- The ability to see the world
- The ability to be a kid again
Since that day, I’ve traveled to 26 countries and my maturity level occasionally reflects one of a rambunctious 7-year old. Oh, and I'm still half-blind, but who knows where technology will lead us in the next few decades?
In 2014, we launched the Cartwheel Project, a movement where people around the world captured a moment in time when they were mid-cartwheel in front of a local landmark.
- The cartwheel was chosen as a snapshot of adults being kids caught in the moment.
- The project was designed to inspire people with my love of travel.
90 friends and strangers not only shared amazing cartwheel pictures (IG: @cartwheelproject), but also raised $1200 to the BC Cancer Foundation.
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Hi, I'm Jay.
On this site, you're invited to join me on my journey.
What you can expect
In the pursuit of excellence, I’ll write sporadically about tackling the unknown, overcoming personal belief barriers, and understanding the psychology of achievement.
You’ll learn about my perspectives on embracing challenges, dealing with emotional struggles, and learning through failure.
Most importantly, as you blaze your own trail, my hope is that you use these articles as a pit-stop, designed to re-fuel and re-tune your engine before heading into the expansive arena of life.
Click here for The Starting Line.
Communities I've grown in
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