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John Link - Cancer diagnosis has shaped my life, and survival has defined me.


What started out as a simple stress fracture in my leg transformed my life from a high school kid working hard to make the varsity baseball team to cancer patient. Now, I am a survivor. With a life that isn't necessarily what I had once imagined, but one that's more meaningful. Cancer diagnosis has shaped my life, and survival has defined me. Chemotherapy and major leg surgery is not something that I would wish upon anyone, but it has been a huge part of my life, and one that has shaped me personally and professionally.

In the spring of 1997, I was 17 and didn't have a care in the world. I started having leg pain during the time of baseball tryouts. I had always been an athlete, playing baseball, basketball and even running track for a period of time in high school. Baseball was my first love though, and being in the varsity baseball team was something I had always wanted, dreamed about and pushed myself to. I had learned to play through injuries, the basic bumps, bruises, and even broken bones. Baseball was my favorite time of the year. It wasn't just playing, but the friendships and the camaraderie that made it special to me. The pain in my leg wasn't a typical bump or bruise, and that is why I was so concerned. Time away from the diamond would be incredibly upsetting to me. I went to my doctor for an evaluation, and he believed I had a simple stress fracture. But over time, it didn't heal and only got worse. I went through a misdiagnosis of a stress fracture, but luckily I was given a leg immobilizer to prevent further damage or pain. I was also prescribed many weeks of physical therapy. However, after all of my therapy and staying off of my leg, and laying off of sports, the leg never felt better. When I got back on the baseball diamond, it felt like I had no cartilage, it felt like it was bone rubbing on bone, and it was a pain that I could not ignore. So I had to be my best advocate. Doctors gave me an MRI, thinking surgery would be required to repair the damage to my leg, and surgery would be necessary, but not the type they originally thought! I had cancer.

I didn't have an annoying injury that was interrupting my baseball season. I had a very aggressive bone cancer that was interrupting my life-and could actually end it.. Osteosarcoma. Of course, I'd never even heard the word before, but now it was the center of my existence. And beating it was my goal. Yes, the treatment was grueling-chemotherapy and surgery to save my leg. The surgeons implanted titanium into my leg in place of the cancerous bone they removed. And it worked. Today, I'm in my 30s and living a full life. I have now dedicated my professional life to raise money for cancer research and preach the importance of early detection and knowing your body! I have been happily married for 2 years and recently purchased a home where we live with my beautiful wife and fun loving dog. Getting the right diagnosis was the first critical step in my survival. If you ever think you've got symptoms that just aren't right, act early. It can save your life. It saved mine. Not only did being proactive and my best advocate save my life, but with early detection, it saved my leg. Many people that put off medical issues or ignore symptoms with cancer, could not survive, but if they survive, they could be debilitated and could lose, arms, legs, lungs, etc. There is nothing wrong with going to a doctor, or talking with your parents about your body, it could be the smartest decision you ever make.


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