Heroes: Kyle Jeffers

In January 2006 I had a life long friend pass away of a sudden stoke. I was devastated by the loss. I started having headaches and thought it was due to the stress and loss of our dear friend a few months earlier and of our only child was graduating from high school and going off to college. The headaches became unbearable. I knew this was not stress. My wife and I told my doctor we wanted an MRI were sure it was not stress.

Heidi and Kyle Jeffers

On June 7, 2006 I had the MRI and June 9, 2006 just 2 days later I had the surgery in Savannah, Georgia. I remember thinking I have not been sick a day in my life with more than a cold, this had to be a mistake, I am only 42 years old. We visited the surgeon and he showed us the scan. The next few days were a blur for us.

Radiation and chemotherapy were next. After a few months, our local oncologist and surgeon both suggested we go to Duke University because of the advanced research they were doing there. My doctors had done all they knew to do. We sent my information to Duke.

My wife was at work a few days later when her cell rang and the voice said “Heidi, this is Henry Friedman with Duke I am calling about your husband.” She had done a lot of research on the Brain Tumor Center at Duke and she knew exactly who he was; we were floored to say the least that he made the call himself. We both knew this was the place we needed to be. He talked about my treatment to that point and arrangements were made for my first appointment at Duke. My wife and I have divided this time of our life into areas that work well for us. My job is to take the treatments, do the best I can and do as the doctors say. Her job is to communicate with the doctors and nurses, make sure I take my medicine and take care of me. It balances out and she would not have it any other way and neither would I.

We found the Tug McGraw Foundation website through the Duke website. I am a huge sports fan so I knew who Tug was and a lot about him except for this. We read about the courage and dedication of Tug McGraw and the foundation to help patients, caretakers and their families through his critical time when you need information. 

A lot has changed since 2006; it is now August of 2008. I have started treatment again last month and I am doing well. I am working everyday. My son, Travis, has been in college for two years and is doing great. He is studying economics at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah. My wife, Heidi, has changed jobs and is   the Chamber Director in our community. I have changed personally too.                    

Heidi, Travis and Kyle

Last Sunday night I gave my testimony at my church, Wades Baptist Church in Screven County, Georgia. Our small church has had not more than 20 people attend at once in the last 15 years for a service on Sunday night. This night there were over 200 people and many could not get in to our small country church. I invited friends and family. I was overwhelmed by the people that came and felt the love and support of our whole community for me and my family. I wanted to tell them of all the blessings I had received, the love and support of my wife, how proud I am of the young man my son has become, the friends and family who had always been there for us, how our faith was always there, but is so much stronger now, how the name “Jesus” just by saying it out loud can make you feel better when nothing else works, my job and how grateful I am after 20 years to be able to go to work each day with people I care so much about, our community who has always taken the time to put me on their prayer list and pray for me or write me note, the blessings I have received at the Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center and the wonderful care the doctors and nurses are providing, how they work so hard to help us with any problem and how we really did find hope there.  I spoke of the Tug McGraw Foundation and   how the foundation works with Brain Tumor Center at Duke and helps support research for patients and their families and of course the motto, “Ya Gotta Believe” and the blessing of knowing… I do believe there will be a cure one day.

After I spoke, some buddies of mine who play blue grass and gospel music played for over an hour. The name of their band is “Bent but Not Broken,” isn’t that something and so fitting for this night. At the end of the service the church took up a collection for the Tug McGraw Foundation of over $1,200.00 for cancer research. What a blessing!

Warren “Kyle” Jeffers

Sylvania, Georgia