When Christine Lee completed her second round of chemotherapy at the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center in Avon, she proudly rang the bell to mark the milestone. What she didn’t know at the time was that the bell was donated by one of her listeners and social media followers, Chad Hoke.
After seeing Christine’s post about ringing the bell, Chad commented, revealing that he was the donor! Christine had to bring him on the show to share his incredible story. Chad, a two-time testicular cancer survivor, said he wanted to give back after surviving his own battles with cancer.
During his first fight, Chad rang a small bell at the end of treatment, but after his second battle, he felt called to do more. That’s when he found the perfect bell on a cancer bell website, drawn to its beautiful inscription:
“Ring this bell three times well to celebrate this day.
This course is run, my treatment done, now I am on my way.”
Chad explained that, during treatment, he often felt helpless, but once he survived, he wanted to pay it forward. The first time, he did so through the Healing Meals organization, and this time, he donated the large, beautiful bell to the center to bring joy to others finishing their treatment.
Chad ringing the old bell, it was definitely time for an upgrade!Chad Hoke
Christine reflected on the emotional moment, saying, “It’s a club no one wants to be a member of, but I’m proud to have rung that bell. It brought me to tears and gave me so much encouragement.”
Both Christine and Chad, now cancer survivors twice over, expressed their gratitude for the people and experiences that helped them through their journeys—and they hope the bell continues to inspire others.
