After beating cancer, ‘I’ve got another shot at life’

Having beaten cancer, Johnny Reyes is happy to continue his work as a barber and playing golf.

“One day I noticed this lump and figured it was a hernia. I had been at the driving range a lot, so I thought it might have been from practicing golf too much. I went to the doctor and he said, ‘That’s not a hernia. You need to go to the emergency room.’

“It turned out to be cancer. I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was already in the fourth stage, so they gave me an experimental drug. I think only 22 people in the United States were getting it. It didn’t take but about five months, and it cured it all.

“The drug had a list of about 30 side effects, but I didn’t get any of them. I did itch a little bit on my back, but it was no big deal. That’s why I say I’m a pretty lucky guy.

“I never looked at the cancer as a death sentence or anything. I just went in there and thought, I’ll be out in no time.

“I’ve always tried to keep a positive outlook on life. But now when I read over all my old paperwork I think, man, I could have been gone. I must have some guardian angels up there. I’ve got another shot at life.”

— Johnny Reyes

(Note: Johnny Reyes passed away on June 17, 2022.)