FROM A PARTICIPANT
DANNY AURIT
Keeping His Eye on the Prize
In many ways Danny Aurit is like any other 20-year old... he’s into music and movies. He has a close-knit family, including an older brother, Mikey, and he aspires to big dreams, such as owning his own restaurant. Danny explains there is one big difference between himself and others his age, "In 2006, during an emergency room visit, after over a month of back and groin pain, irregularities in my private area and five doctor visits, I was finally diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer." This news set Danny’s life on a challenging and harrowing course. After his diagnosis, Danny underwent chemotherapy which left him tattered and shaken. Yet, he kept his eye on the prize… a day when he would be happy and healthy again. "After four months I had completed treatment and we thought the process was over," says Danny. "Days afterward, we found out that I was resistant to the first line chemotherapy. We immediately got on the phone with expert doctors around the country." The Aurit family chose Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and within days Danny, and eventually,
his family, moved to NY City, where they still reside and where Danny’s treatment continues. Danny learned about The Wellness Community (TWC) after seeing a newsletter in his doctor’s office. "When Mikey and I walked into TWC the first time, I knew that I was going to love it there," said Danny. "Where else could I sit in a group of 10 adults and laugh about being constipated due to all the pain medication I was consuming?" "I became involved with TWC because I wanted to give something back. I joined the Teen Advisory Board and became a member of the teen support group. TWC participants
and staff taught me it’s all right to be scared because I am not alone. Nothing is more important to a cancer survivor than hope. That is something that I have found within the walls of TWC. Because of TWC I am still fighting. I have to get to remission and then to a cure. Cancer doesn’t control me. My battle continues and all the while, I am keeping my eye on the prize."