Banjo’s Manifesto

Banjo – Photo by Brad Daniels

A short break from the regularly scheduled programming for this PSA…

Back in 2005 when I was 25, I found out that I had sarcoma cancer in my neck. After an intense surgery to remove a bigass tumor, I started seven months of treatment at St.Vincent’s in Manhattan. My treatment, like sarcoma, was extreme. Each round of chemotherapy was eight days long and lasted for 21 hours (a portable pump allowed me to go home at night). I was zapped with radiation through a linear accelerator (super radiation) 31 times.  Nearly everyday for seven months, I had to get from my apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn to the cancer center in the West Village. The chemo made me incredibly sick and the radiation caused open wounds, so the subway was totally out of the question most days.

The American Cancer Society of Brooklyn helped me cover some of the cabs (my dad covered the rest) back and forth each day. I’m forever grateful for the support of each. I’ve been in remission for seven years now. For the last few years, I’ve led a Relay for Life team to help raise funds for other folks in Brooklyn in my same situation, many of whom have even greater needs. This year, grass clippings mascot “Banjo” is showing his support and making some serious sacrifices. Watch his video below, which features Bela Fleck’s “Daybreak” and support the cause here.

DONATE here.