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Jack Menier

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of the passing of a phenomenal man, Jack Menier. On 5/19/16, at 1:22am, Jack took his last breath and lost his fight against brain cancer. This journey would have been even more difficult without the support and prayers from all of you, so for that, we thank-you tremendously! We will post funeral arrangements as soon as they are available. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to: www.gregsmission.org It is through this organization, and it's president Greg Cantwell, that we were finally able to find a doctor that was ready to help us fight this cancer head on! Because of this, many more precious days were added to Jack's life, and many more memories were created. For that, we will be forever grateful! Thank-you again, Shannon O'Neill, Nancy Britton, & Bob Menier"

Leandre

I first reached out to Greg in August of 2012 after googling a glioblastoma that my brother was diagnosed with at the age of 39. I emailed Greg and he called me immediately. I couldn’t believe this man who didn’t even know me took the time to give me all the information about a glio and advice he could. He talked to me for over an hour. He gave me hope and so much encouragement after that phone call. I couldn’t wait to tell my family about it. His website was the most informative and the most helpful information I could find. He suggested to me word for word what we could tell the doctors etc. He was so personable and I felt very comfortable talking with him so openly about my brother’s condition. He told me I could call him at anytime, day or night. Again I was amazed. I felt that he acted better than the doctors we had dealt with over the course of the last 4 years. After Mark’s 2nd relapse with the glio I reached out again. Then after his 3rd I did as well. Greg was a God sent and I appreciate all of his guidance and support these last 4 years. He is such an inspiration and I pray God blesses him always.

Amanda Perlyn Jackson

Hi Greg,

I hope you are well! We have never met in person but we spoke over a year ago when my brother in law (Roger Jackson) was diagnosed with GBM. While he has been treated at UCLA unfortunately the cancer has deeply progressed and even the avastin and carboplatin are not working well. He was not a candidate for some of the trials because of the location of the cancer in a few spots.

I do want to thank you for your support and encouragement. We spoke a few times but unfortunately Roger never came around to wanting to talk to others/survivors about what he was going through. I wish things could have turned out differently for my family and my goal now is simply to support them as the next few months become increasingly hard for Roger. I pray he is as comfortable as he can be until the end.

Thanks again and I know you are continuing to make an impact with so many people around the world.

Jeni Beas

Thank you for all you to bless and support others with your story of encouragement! Truly God is not done with you yet, Greg!!! And Lisa is amazing too!! We are so thankful for how you support our family, especially through Steve's challenge. God bless you in all you do and may He increase you and this mission to fulfill His purposes in your lives!

Kelly Schleis

Greg has provided critical knowledge and support as my father's Glioblastoma recurred. He got back to me right away whenever I had a question and this provided additional direct support for me when I needed it and had no one else to turn to. He also let me know what to expect as the cancer progressed and provided resources for second opinions. This is critically invaluable information for the family whether the patient is interested in aggressively fighting the cancer or not.

Dede

My son,was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, in 2011. Since that time, he has had two surgeries and up until the last 8 months lived and worked with the cancer as only a true trooper could. During the journey I have personally contacted Greg with concerns and honestly, in need of reassurance from him. In true form, he has gotten back to me and contacted my son with reassurance and prayers for my son and his family. I can only say with true conviction, that Greg has always stepped up to the plate for me and I'm amazed at how so many thousands of people have turned to Greg's Mission for help and guidance. I thank God for Greg and the people who have worked behind the scenes to make his mission a "dream come true" for me and countless others. God Bless you Greg.

Carol

Greg, Thank you so much for reaching out and talking to me (us) today. It is wonderful to know that you are there as a resource to help us navigate through this. And thank you for the questions and treatment information. I can already see that it will be helpful from a quick glance.

All the best to you…

We will talk again soon.

THANK YOU!

Stephanie B.

Thank you Greg, from the bottom of my heart! Your phone call to Chet & I meant so much. You are truly an inspiration and we pray to meet you someday soon. Taking time out of your busy schedule to cheer us in was just what we needed to reboot ourselves and get back on track. As newly diagnosed with grade 4 GBM my husband has been in the fight of his life, we believe wholeheartingly that we will overcome this especially with you by our side. God Bless you and your family for all you do for so many.

Much Love!!

Joanne

Greg, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the positive messages you gave to TJ, he loved you and considered you a great friend. I think he always felt he could beat the monster as you did. He was not so lucky.

Greg, if you and your wife are ever in this area, please call me. Would love to spend some time with you again.

Bobby Udell

“A very close friend of mine, Justin Baker, was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma back in April 2011. Justin is 25 years old and neither one of us had a clue what exactly this was or what it meant. Sure, the doctors were able to explain what it was, cancer, and they more or less gave him a death sentence. Knowing Justin for as long as I have, I knew he wasn’t going to just let some doctor who he’s never met before or who sees cancer patients daily tell him he was going to die and there’s nothing they can do for him.

Immediately after the diagnosis, Justin and his friends began numerous hours of research. My sister, Ellen Sullivan, reached out to a gentleman through Facebook, Greg Cantwell (Glioblastoma Survivor). After all the research we did, everything we read said the chances of beating this terrible illness were slim to none. Obviously, the odds were against us. After Ellen reached out to Greg for the support she forwarded his name to Justin and his friends. We all had access to his Facebook page and his website with his story. His story is truly a miracle and left people with no hope such as ourselves with hope. The first thing Greg told me was to stop looking at the stats, that’s exactly what they are and they don’t mean anything. This was hard to accept but after talking with Greg, I now realized that it’s true, they are just stats and they don’t mean anything. Justin is as tough as they come so of course, he was going to battle this just as Greg did.

Since day one, Greg has had daily contact with Justin and his support group. Greg has made himself available 24 hours a day to answer our many questions. Obviously, Justin needed a plan and Greg helped Justin make this plan. Justin was able to look at Greg’s story and had to put himself in Greg’s shoes. Since the moment Justin contacted Greg and read his story, Justin was all in. Justin now had something to look forward to. If Greg can beat this illness then Justin Baker was going to do it too!

April 15th, Justin was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and on April 26th Justin had a surgery to remove the tumor. This was the same thing that Greg had done as well. In Justin’s case, the doctor was able to remove about 85% of the tumor and the rest would be removed by chemo and radiation, That was the plan. After surgery, Greg continued to have contact with Justin and his friends, always remaining positive and leaving us with all kinds of hope and one message, “don’t give up, remain strong and you will beat this”. How can we argue this? A man who is very similar to Justin in age is talking to us over the phone or through text messages has survived this.

About a month after Justin’s major surgery, he developed some complications and ended up back in the hospital. He took a turn for the worse and we had all lost hope, once again. Doctors told us Justin had almost no chance at making it through the night, let alone the week. Again, I reached out to Greg, not only for Justin but for my own sanity. My best friend was unconscious laying in a hospital bed for days, looked like a worn down man getting ready to throw the towel in. Greg immediately asked what he can do for me and Justin. I didn’t have an answer, I didn’t know what to say.

The next day, Greg drove to Cedar Rapids to finally meet us in person and to finally meet Justin. Again, Greg’s message was firm. “Do not give up, don’t give up. Remain positive, if not for yourself, for Justin”. Again, how do I argue this? I was know looking at a survivor of this illness, obvious from his scar on his head to the tattoos on his arms and his bracelets on his wrist. Greg Cantwell survived this cancer, and damn-it, Justin Baker can to. Greg then made it a priority of his to make it up to Cedar Rapids several times a week which he continues to do to this day. After a few days, Justin did in fact come around again. He is awake, much more alert, off the fluids and eating on his own. Greg was finally able to talk to Justin in person and give him support that he so desperately needed. The days that Greg was not able to come up, he made it a priority to call us or text us. This type of generosity is unheard of these days and I cannot begin to tell you how appreciative I am and Justin’s other supporters are of Greg and his positive attitude.

After meeting with Greg, I can honestly say that he has changed my life and others around me. I will know longer look at things in a negative way, but rather a positive way. Greg Cantwell has earned my respect since the day I first talked to him and there is not a bigger fan of him then me. I wish Greg nothing but the best in the future and I hope after Justin beats this illness just as Greg has and that the three of us will be able to remain in contact. Greg Cantwell, thank you for all you have done, not only for me personally and Justin, but for all the people you help and provide support too around the world. You Greg, are truly an amazing person and you are the true definition of a great person.

The last thing I want to say is another thing that Greg told me. He said “make sure that the doctors and nurses treat the patient and not the diagnosis” he couldn’t be more right and I wrote it on the board in Justin’s room.

Thank you for all you do and continue to do.”

Luis Hernandez

“I also want to thank God for Greg Cantwell a Stage IV Glioblastoma Survivor and Caregiver, Greg has been kind enough to lend himself to our family for hope, help, support and encouragement. He has a wonderful testimony, If you know anyone with brain cancer I encourage you to look him up at, http://www.survivorandcaregiver.com/”

Marissa

Hi Greg, just wanted to keep you posted. My dad’s surgery went very well today. The doctor said he thinks he was able to remove the majority of the tumor! We’ll take any good news we can get, and will know more when he gets another scan in two days. Thankfully, he has all of his mobility and was cracking jokes as soon as he woke up. To be completely honest, I only continued to pursue the idea of surgery after you encouraged me not to accept inoperable as a valid answer. This could change the course of his prognosis and give him a real chance. I am so grateful for all of your advice thus far. Do not underestimate the good you are doing. We know we still have a lot of fighting to do, but today was day 1 towards victory.”

Ronn

“To those who have been or plan to get in touch with Greg, consider it a positive step toward your recovery. 

My name is Ronn. I was diagnosed three days before my 51st birthday with a tumor on my right temporal lobe, in July of 2010. I was rushed to the emergency room after suffering a seizure. The type of tumor I have is called a glioma. These types of tumors cannot be completely removed in most cases and I was no exception. The pathological report indicated that the tumor was malignant and that I had what is called astrocytoma (grade 3). I have to say that I didn’t feel sorry for myself and say “why me”, but I was angry. I have an awesome wife and a beautiful and smart 15-year-old daughter. I have three wonderful sisters and three outstanding nieces. Nothing was going to stop me from being a part of “my girls” lives. 

As time moved on, and I fell into my routine of medications and doctor visits, I have to admit that even with all the support of family and friends, I felt the need to speak with someone that could fully understand what I was going through. It’s not always easy to keep a positive attitude. I was hungry for “first-hand” information from someone who understood. Fortunately, I found Greg. He’s been a true inspiration and has become not only a good source of information but a friend. There’s something special about people who can turn tragedy into triumph…that triumph being the help he gives to others who are fighting the same battle as he. 

I’ve kept my outlook positive despite some limitations I now have and despite the side effects of all my medications, but I find myself in need of a “pick-me-up” every now and then, from a survivor. Greg has been that person.”

Dave

“When I came home from the hospital after surgery in June, my family was very supportive, but they couldn’t really understand exactly what I was going through. Now that I have been connected with Greg, I am extremely happy knowing that someone who understands what I’m going through and can give me the kind of specific support that my family cannot provide, Greg is just a phone call or email away. I haven’t been very active talking about my situation, but just knowing he’s there, comforts me.”

David

“This is David’s son. I wanted to thank you for all your support. He really loved your motivational words and it gave him so much extra energy and drive. Unfortunately, he longer has a fight. I am attaching his final update. I just wanted to thank you and say that you need to keep what you are doing. It helped my dad in so many ways so I am sure you have done wonders to so many others. Keep your fight going and keep motivating folks.”

Thanks

Linda

“Greg, Thank God for you and all your doing! My husband is living with a GBM for about 1 year now. He had surgery, radiation, chemo, gamma knife, and continues with temador treatment monthly. He is doing wonderful. His tumor is showing signs of shrinkage on every MRI. He like you is very active and has a very positive outlook. This is the fight of our lives and I know he can beat this. Your inspiring site gives hope to all of us living with cancer. God bless you!”

Stacy

“I just wanted to let you know that my mom passed away last week. Apparently, she had an infection/pneumonia and they could not get her white blood cells or platelets up, even after numerous blood transfusions and shots. It’s hard for me to talk about right now, everything just happened so fast. One day we had a great MRI and the next day she was in the hospital on oxygen and unable to breathe. The doctor said it was all from the tumor, I don’t know…there are so many unanswered questions. One of the doctors said the Decadron (steroid) may have caused the infection. I have a lot of work to do to find out what went wrong, and why my mom’s blood was perfectly normal one week and depleted the next. They had her on such a high dosage of everything. I need answers from the doctors, and it is my mission to get them. I want to talk to you more about this, and I promise to be in touch with you once I can wrap my hands around this. In the meantime, I want you to know that I would not have been able to get through these past few months without you. You were our positive force, that’s for sure. I only wish mom could have actually met you herself. The one thing about my mom is that she did NOT want to live with cancer. She was too much of an independent woman to ever let doctors tell her what to do, meds to take, etc. etc. As much as I wanted my mom to beat this, and knew that she could, I also knew she didn’t want to live her life being sick and bound to all of the treatments. It was wiping her out.

Thank you again for everything I promise to call you soon.”