Fight Like Denise

Fight Like Denise It is our #1 Goal to raise awareness and funding for Brain Cancer research! Fight Like Denise #1 Goal is to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer research.

We have recently connected with the Chris Elliot Fund (https://www.facebook.com/EndBrainCancer), a non-profit out of Seattle and a National Brain Tumor Patient Support group. It is their mission to support cutting-edge brain cancer research; to promote education and awareness of this sorely under-funded disease; to provide information and resources for brain cancer patients and their families; and

to act as the voice for brain cancer patients who cannot fight for themselves. Together, we will help GBM patients nationwide get the treatment and support they need to survive!

05/10/2026

On this Mother’s Day, I’d like to share a story Ryland told me just this week….

He was telling me about her favorite, most comfy blanket. She used it everyday and he liked it also so she gave it to him. This was in the last few months she was alive when she was struggling the most. Denise was so selfless and loved our son so much that she cared more about him being comfortable than herself. I didn’t remember this and was so happy to hear that Ryland did and had a special appreciation of how loving his mom was.

When Denise went to Heaven, I did my best but knew I could never replace her love. A mother’s love is different and more nurturing. This story doesn’t surprise me in the least and defines who Denise was a person and a mother.

The attached video is an example of how much we used to enjoy messing with each other. Denise wasn’t ever scared of cancer but was a little when it came to flying. Ryland was doing his best to mess with her but she handled it with grace.

Ryland and I love and miss you today as always. We remember your love, laughter, and incredible spirit!

Happy Mother’s Day to the best!

**in the part that’s hard to understand, Ryland says “you’re probably thinking of Sully” 😆

A new mindset this week for me…….For 6 years now when Denise comes up in conversation, at some point I’ll usually say ...
03/08/2026

A new mindset this week for me…….

For 6 years now when Denise comes up in conversation, at some point I’ll usually say “I lost my wife…….to cancer”

Almost always the same sad reaction and the reply is usually “I’m sorry for your loss”

So this week I decided that when Denise comes up in conversation and when fitting I will say “my wife is hanging out with God now”.

I said this for the first time yesterday and what a difference in the response to what I’m used to. The man started smiling and telling me about the loved ones she’s in Heaven with now.

You see I did LOSE my wife but I FOUND her much earlier than that. She was a giant blessing in my life…..probably the biggest ever (my son is close)

So for that I choose to think of having her in my life as a gift that was given to me and not as a loss anymore. I didn’t lose anything by being married to Denise, I gained more than I’ll ever fully understand.

I encourage everyone who has “lost” someone they love to consider a new perspective 🙏

Today, I had an overwhelming feeling of missing Denise. Not because its Valentine’s Day, but makes sense that it happene...
02/14/2026

Today, I had an overwhelming feeling of missing Denise. Not because its Valentine’s Day, but makes sense that it happened today.

It’s hard to understand what Ryland and I are missing by not having her here with us. Too much to comprehend. She made her presence felt today in a powerful way though. A harsh reminder of what “we lost”. God had another plan though and that’s what we have to accept. The blessing is what we did have and that I “found her” many years ago. Someone said to me recently “It’s a blessing to be a blessing”
She absolutely was that. Just look how happy Ryland was in her arms!

If you read this far, make sure you don’t take your loved ones for granted.

Hope you’re dancing in Heaven today babe with that big beautiful smile!

When we were young……. My love has been in Heaven for 6 years today. I felt so good today feeling the spirit of Denise m...
01/22/2026

When we were young…….

My love has been in Heaven for 6 years today. I felt so good today feeling the spirit of Denise more than normal. Didn’t feel sad but instead felt happy and alive while thinking about her.

I always remind myself how incredibly blessed I was to have true love that was also my best friend for almost 15 years.

You were the best!! Love you and miss you always!

As I go through some photos and cards today, my emotions were swirling pretty quickly. One of the first cards I read was...
07/15/2025

As I go through some photos and cards today, my emotions were swirling pretty quickly. One of the first cards I read was from Denise to me right after she was diagnosed. She was so positive and full of love. The first photo I found of her and Ryland is below. Both made me cry. Happy and sad tears at the same time. The photo reminded me how precious life truly is and also how vulnerable we all are at the same time.

I share this today in the hopes that you hug your loved ones a little tighter, tell them you love them a little more often, and make sure you appreciate all that you have, you never know how long you will have them.

To Denise, I love you today as much as I ever did and always will…….

03/09/2025

Last night I had the pleasure of speaking at the “Jackets and Jeans” event hosted by Team Tony Cancer Foundation as a caregiver.

It was the first time I have spoken at an event in several years and the first time since Denise passed. I was a little nervous at first and may have said umm about 47 times but it truly was an honor to share my experience. It’s hard to describe the feeling of a couple of hundred people in that room completely focused on every word-you could hear a pin drop.

Many people approached me after thanking me for sharing our story but one lady in paticular gave me some shocking news. She found out that her nephew had just passed from the same cancer as Denise-Glioblastoma-literally in the middle of my speech. We shared an emotional moment together and in some way I feel it was an intense form of synchronicity. I can only hope Denise was waiting in Heaven to welcome him home.

Thank you Tony for including me in your amazing event!

5 days later……Denise had brain surgery on today’s date 11 years ago. It was the most anxious moment ever waiting on it t...
08/30/2024

5 days later……Denise had brain surgery on today’s date 11 years ago.

It was the most anxious moment ever waiting on it to be over and find out how it went.

I’ll never forget when the ER doctor said she had to have brain surgery and the realization that it meant cutting her skull open to remove the tumor came on like an avalanche. I was in shock and so scared of what that meant for Denise. Would she be okay, would she ever be the same, is it cancer, is she going to live, am I going to raise our son without her.

When it was done, her surgeon told us he removed as much of the tumor as he could but it appears to be cancer. And that he wasn’t sure what type until pathology was done. He said it could be grade 1-grade 4 with grade 4 being the most aggressive. I immediately asked him what if it is grade 4 because I felt like I had to know what the worst case scenario is so I could know what we could be dealing with. He told me grade 4 is called Glioblastoma and the survival rate is only 2-3%. The fear of that possibility was gut wrenching. We were left with more questions than answers.

We did find out 6 days later that it was GBM. When Denise and I met with her surgeon for a follow up visit to remove the staples we asked him how many long term survivors he had done surgery on. He told us only 5 that were still living over 5 years. We looked at each other and said well theres hope for us to be one more of them.

Denise went on to courageously fight for the next 6+ years. She handed over all of her fear to God in the beginning and trusted her faith that the outcome was in His hands and not hers. In her battle, she was at peace and was never worried or scared. Faith over fear was her mantra and she lived by it. It was truly incredible to witness.

Denise was an angel on Earth when she was alive. Now she’s in Heaven for eternity without pain and in perfect peace. Everyday I remind myself how blessed I was to be married to her and spend almost 15 years together. That gives me peace. My emotions have been intense this week but it’s necessary for healing. More peace and less pain is my goal one step at a time.


This date has haunted me for a long time……11 years to be exact. Today is the day I took Denise to the ER when she was ha...
08/25/2024

This date has haunted me for a long time……11 years to be exact.

Today is the day I took Denise to the ER when she was having excruciating pain from headaches and was told:

“Your wife has a brain tumor and has to have brain surgery right away”

It was so disturbing that it felt like I entered the Twilight Zone. It felt like an out of body experience and the thought of life or death became very real. I’ll never forget walking up and down the levels of the parking garage mentally freaking out. My head was spinning out of control and I forced myself to somehow wrap my head around the fact that Denise’s life was all of a sudden very fragile. I tried to process what the worst case scenario could mean for my best friend, amazing wife, and the most loving mother. I didn’t believe the worst case scenario would happen but felt like it was necessary to face it head on emotionally.

As I was walking the beach today, I was reliving these moments from that day which I don’t do very often. It hit me hard, and I cried more than I have in a long time. A song came on that I discovered last year when I started to do some real healing. It’s called “You can’t rush your healing” by Trevor Hall. I’ll put a link in the comments. If you’re in need of more healing in your life, listen to that song and the lyrics-it may help you like it did me.

I’ve done more healing in the last 14 months than I had in the previous 3+ years since Denise went to Heaven. Healing for me has given me a chance to feel less pain and find more peace. It has made we appreciate more than ever all of the blessings I had with Denise. We had something truly magical and we had an incredible son together. We lived through every single one of our vows. Denise and I always made the best of our circumstances even in the most difficult of times and for that I couldn’t be more proud.

When I got home from the beach, I realized for the first time that this day, 11 years ago, was probably the hardest day of my life. And my emotions today around what happened that day proved that the healing will continue.

I hope whoever reads this, it can help you think about your own ways of healing.

Happy Sunday everyone. And always Fight Like Denise!

On this day 15 years ago, I married this beautiful woman. Denise was amazing and I feel blessed to have been lucky enoug...
01/10/2024

On this day 15 years ago, I married this beautiful woman. Denise was amazing and I feel blessed to have been lucky enough to be her husband. We said our vows that day and ended up living through each and every one.

I find peace in knowing that I had true love and experienced a relationship not every one gets to have with someone so special. A friend recently told me “it’s better to have loved than to never have loved at all” and it really resonated with me. So today, I am good, only shedding a few tears as I write this, but feeling a calm at the same time. Focused on counting my blessings that we did have our time together and have an incredible son. Ryland has so much of Denise in him including his looks according to everyone which is a good thing!

All I ask is that you count your blessings more often, we can’t afford to take the most important things in life for granted!

So for the last 4+ months I’ve been really focused on taking care of myself in so many ways. I am finally healing in a n...
10/21/2023

So for the last 4+ months I’ve been really focused on taking care of myself in so many ways. I am finally healing in a new way that feels so much different.

With grief, I’m sure some people heal faster than I have, and I’m sure some people never heal at all. The beautiful thing is I am healing right now. Opening myself up and living in an intentional way with a purpose for what I’m doing. Exploring my faith in God. Trying to feel connected to Him like she did. Denise has always given me strength and now she is helping me find peace. You were my biggest blessing and you gave birth to my second biggest blessing. Ryland and I have a responsibility to be the best versions of us we can be. For ourselves and to honor Denise. That’s what she would expect…..

We will do our best babe, promise!

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