'We Have To Fight': Dacula Man Faces Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis

DACULA, GA — An annual outing to watch a football game with his son led a Dacula husband and father to discover that he had Stage 4 esophageal cancer.

Each year for his son's birthday, 57-year-old John Ross and his son go see a Sunday Night football game — a tradition that was formed when the pair was watching the Super Bowl at a Hamilton Mill bar.

John Ross was eating fried when he felt one get stuck in his lower esophagus, he told Patch Wednesday.

"My daughter urged me to talk to the doctor about it, and the doctor ordered a prob to be sent down my throat," he said. "It was during the prob that they took a biopsy of a 4-centimeter mass that diagnosed me. By this time it had already traveled into other lymph nodes in my body. I could already feel them swollen in both my neck and back."

His wife, Brooke Ross, told Patch she was surprised to learn her husband had Stage 4 esophageal cancer. But, being married to a man who lives a "giving to others" kind of life, she is choosing to remain optimistic.

A GoFundMe has been established to raise money for treatment and other benefits.

Meeting a Selfless Man

The couple have been married for more than 27 years and have two biological children and three honorary children they have taken into their home.

John Ross is an Indiana native who has lived in Dacula for the last four years and works as a realtor. Brooke Ross works as a fourth-grade teacher.

"We are trying to be optimistic," Brooke Ross said of her husband. "John has always lived a 'giving to others' life. He is a greeter at the church and the guy people call when they need help."

He leads a small men's group, completes community service and regularly checks on people. He treats everyone like family. There was an instance where he borrowed a tow truck and drove it from South Carolina to Florida to assist a church member with retrieving her car after she could not afford to have it towed.

"Part of me feels he's too great a role model to leave this Earth at the young age of 57," Brooke Ross said. "However, if there ever was a person who could turn this negative into a drive to help others, it's John."

The road to being diagnosed with cancer lasted for three months, with doctors testing John Ross for strep, COVID-19 and other medical conditions. Each test returned a negative result, with doctors ultimately deeming he had a double-ear infection. He was treated for the infection. Then, he was told he had pneumonia and was treated.

When the physicians told him he had cancer, he felt conflicted.

"Mostly I was just glad we found what had been bothering me and was anxious to start fixing it," John Ross said. "We were scared it would take them a long time, but the doctors here at Northside and Piedmont worked fast. They had me start on chemo within a week from meeting with them."

Brooke Ross said she wondered how she had not solved the puzzle and put all of the pieces together. Aside from the fry getting stuck, John Ross experienced weight loss and swollen lymph nodes.

"That is the horrible thing about cancer," she said. "All the side effects are so easy to notice, so you keep explaining away how you feel to the other ailments that are easy to detect. Then, all of a sudden,'Boom,' you find out the underlying reason for all of them."

Weekly hospital visits for four hours of therapy have now become part of John Ross' life. He goes home with a 48-inch drip tray. When he is not in therapy, labs are done to monitor his body's reaction.

"My daughter is my driver and nurse since my wife has to work to keep the insurance going," he said. "It is a very tedious schedule full of doctors, nurses and appointments. All the time, I am keeping up with work because I need to help make money for the family. It's a lot to manage. "

Developing Stage 4 esophageal cancer caused sleep discomfort for John Ross due to a swollen lymph node in his back. He is unable to sleep on his stomach due to pain. The chemotherapy bag he sleeps with is noisy.

"It is very uncomfortable," he said. "But, I'm alive. My family keeps me busy and occupied."

He said he is doing the best he can to cope with his diagnosis. Life has given him several reasons to fight the cancer, the most significant one being his family.

Leading the Fight Against Cancer

John Ross said he is opting to stay strong, positive and active.

Vitamin C intravenous therapy treatments are available to boost his immune system, but they are costly. IVs for pain management, energy level and nutrition are also available though pricey.

"Other cancer patients that can afford them regularly say that it makes a world of difference for them to manage life while going through treatment," he said.

Brooke Ross has started a GoFundMe, with a goal to raise $100,000. As of mid-Friday afternoon, nearly $19,000 had been raised in a little more than a week.

She said the funding will benefit uncovered prescription drugs, out-of-pocket expenses, homeopathic remedies, specific dietary needs, loss of income, specialized clothing, specialized equipment, miscellaneous needs and a peace of mind.

"The other day we went to the hospital to get a port put into his chest and they asked for over $2,000. We paid. The next day, we went in, and they said we owed another $400. This is when I found out that meeting your deductible is not the same as meeting your out of pocket," she said.

"I do have insurance through being a teacher, but it still means I have to have $10,000 sitting around in order for us to pay for all this, and I'll need $10,000 again come January. This would eat up what we have in our savings account and we still will need more for all the other little things that add up."

The money raised through the GoFundMe so far has afforded her the chance to be on her way toward meeting this goal.

"I couldn't imagine how much stress he would have been under if he realized getting cancer was going to cost us everything we have and struggle with the fact that he may end up leaving us in financial ruin," Brooke Ross said.

"What an incredibly heartbreaking choice. As long as John is on this Earth, I couldn't imagine not doing all I can to help him and keep him comfortable in body and mind. Without this GoFundMe, our life would already be in turmoil."

John Ross said receiving support through the GoFundMe feels great as his family goes through a difficult time. Seeing how people care about him has pushed him to fight harder.

Brooke Ross encourages people to donate funding to help her husband, even if the donation is $10.

"At best, you will be helping to save the life of a good person who still wants to see his daughter walk down the aisle, his son graduate from high school and eventually college and maybe even see a grandchild," she said. "At worst, it will help him fight with the help of his family, friends and community without the concern of leaving his family in ruins. I think we can all relate to that."

She plans to continue updating the GoFundMe, sharing her husband's story.

John Ross thanks the Dacula community for its support, noting it means a lot to him and his family. He said he is thankful for the financial assistance so the family can focus on what really matters.

As for people who are currently battling a cancer diagnosis, he has a message.

"We can't stop trying," John Ross said. "We can't give in. We can't give up. We have to fight."

Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.