A terminally ill cancer patient has decided to spend the rest of his days volunteering around the country with the goal of helping those in need in all 50 states.
Doug Ruch from San Antonio, Texas has been battling prostate cancer since 2021, and this January, he was told the cancer was back and had spread to his liver.
He was given 12 to 18 months to live.
“The two-year survival rate for this type of cancer is 22%,” Ruch told KNX News’ Margaret Carrero. “So, you know, I had a choice. Do I want to fight like crazy for another 6 or 8 months and be absolutely miserable or do I want to go out and live and just let nature take its course? And that's what I decided to do.”
Ruch started the Dying to Serve Tour, in which he travels across the U.S. helping out those in need. He said volunteering has given him energy,
“I'm loving meeting the people, I'm loving helping the people,” he said. “On days where I have a volunteer mission, I am shot out of a cannon in the morning. On days when I don't have a volunteer mission, I, you know, I can feel it. I don't have the energy. I'm tired. Some of the symptoms that I have with this cancer is, I am tired. I'm achy. I am in pain all day, but I've been ignoring it. and it's a lot easier to ignore it when I'm helping people, and I can put my mind on other things. So it has been a blessing, and I'm gonna do it until I can't do it anymore.”
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He is asking for donations to keep his mission going.
“I did pretty well up until I got sick four years ago,” he said. “But, you know, it's the co-pays and the out of pockets and this and, you know, [I] gotta pay this to that doctor and this percentage to this place and that place, it sucked me dry.”
To learn more about Dying to Serve and to make a donation, click here.
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