Inspiration for Cancer Warriors
- David Adkins, better known by his stage name Sinbad, is still recovering from a stroke that happened over two years ago. He began his physical, occupational and speech therapy at the California Rehabilitation Institute in May 2021, and has made miraculous progress since.
- As the stand-up comedian re-learns how to walk, Sinbad says he “will not stop fighting until [he] can walk across the stage again.”
- If you’re a cancer warrior in need of some inspiration, SurvivorNet has you covered. We’ve had the privilege of sharing many moving stories from survivors over the years, including that of chef Eduardo Garcia's incredible journey overcoming testicular cancer, pediatric cancer survivor and Girl Scout cookie sales record holder Lilly Bumpus and best-selling author and late-stage lymphoma survivor Alex Echols.
David Adkins, better known by his stage name Sinbad, grew to popularity in the 1990s after being featured in his own HBO specials. He’s also been in TV series like “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show” and starred in films like Necessary Roughness, Good Burger and Planes.
Read MoreSinbad’s Stroke Journey
Sinbad had his life-changing stroke on October 25, 2020, after a blood clot traveled from his heart to his brain. After undergoing an urgent thrombectomy (a surgery to remove a blood clot from a blood vessel), he was talking and moving with some weakness but a very good prognosis. Sadly, more trouble came the next day when he developed yet another blood clot. “He underwent the same surgery again successfully but it took a little more from him than the first surgery,” his family recently wrote on a website created to provide an update on his progress and allow fans to donate money to help him during his recovery.View this post on Instagram
After transferring to Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, doctors discovered his brain was swelling and performed a craniotomy an operation in which a small hole is made in the skull or a piece of bone from the skull is removed to show part of the brain in order to relieve the pressure and reduce his swelling. But this surgery only led to the discovery of more issues.
“During surgery, however, the doctors discovered a bleed,” his website reads. “It was hours before the family learned Sinbad had returned to the Neuro-ICU in a medically induced coma and placed on a ventilator. Our hearts were devastated. The road to recovery became unclear and extremely difficult for the family to navigate.”
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Weeks went by before Sinbad opened his eyes, spoke, or showed signs of basic mobility. And the family soon realized he could no longer move his left side or even hold his head up.
It wasn’t until May 2021 that Sinbad began his physical, occupational and speech therapy at the California Rehabilitation Institute.
“It was there Sinbad started to make considerable progress toward recovery,” his family explains.
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Almost nine months after the initial stroke, Sinbad finally got to go home on July 7, 2021. Since then, his determination to walk has only strengthened.
“He continues to receive therapy, fighting for every inch,” the website reads. “His progress is nothing short of remarkable. Limbs that were said to be "dead" are coming alive and he's taking the steps necessary to learn to walk again.
“In his own words, ‘I am not done. I will not stop fighting until I can walk across the stage again.’ And neither will we.”
More Inspiration for Cancer Warriors
Sinbad is an amazing example of resilience. Sometimes hearing stories like his can help people faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges like cancer move forward with bravery and strength.
And if inspiration is what you need, SurvivorNet has you covered. Time and time again, we get to get to share stories of resilience because there's no shortage of brave cancer warriors holding onto hope in the face of adversity and achieving amazing things.
Charged The Eduardo Garcia Story is an award-winning SurvivorNetTV documentary following chef Eduardo Garcia's incredible journey overcoming testicular cancer.
SurvivorNetTV Presents: 'Charged' Setbacks Help Chef Discover Meaning and Connection
Garcia was on a hunting and fishing trip through the Montana backcountry in 2011 when he stumbled upon what he thought were the remains of a bear in a tin can that ended up being an old electrical junction box. When he attempted to remove its claw with his knife, he received an extremely severe electrical shock of 2400 volts. He lost an arm and nearly his life.
But his health struggles didn't stop there. At the hospital, doctors also found that Garcia had testicular cancer. He needed to start chemotherapy immediately before beginning reconstructive surgeries.
Thankfully, Garcia beat the disease and has since returned to cooking up some delectable eats using a prosthetic arm. He's a true warrior at heart who's happy to be in remission and grateful for the people who helped to get him there.
"Everyone that has encouraged me, and supported me, and forgiven me, and held me accountable has brought me to today and how I make my life moving forward," he said.
Another inspiring cancer warrior SurvivorNet has gotten to know is Lilly Bumpus. She’s a pediatric cancer survivor who was born with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer that is often found in children and young adults.
All before she turned one, Bumpus underwent intense rounds of chemotherapy and had some of her bones removed from her chest wall. Thankfully, those efforts were successful, and she's still in remission today, though chemotherapy has left her with lasting side effects like bone deformation.
As if kicking cancer's butt wasn't enough, she's also beaten the Girl Scout cookie sales record for most boxes sold in a single season. She sold more than 32,000 boxes of cookies this year despite operating in a world ensnared by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My favorite thing about Lilly is that she never gives up," her mother, Trish, previously told SurvivorNet. "So, Lillybug got to 10,000 boxes one week into Girl Scout cookie season. Never, ever has that happened. So we went from there. I then approached Girl Scouts and said, 'What happens now if she sells 20,000 boxes?' And they said, '20,000 boxes, yeah, okay.' So we said, 'Game on.' So then we sold on and sold on, and she got into 20,000 boxes."
"And then we went to 32,000," added Lilly.
And last, but certainly not least, best-selling author Alex Echols is yet another cancer warrior whose story has enthralled and moved us. He is a late-stage lymphoma survivor who, as humble as can be, credits his resilience to his upbringing in a violence-ridden neighborhood he's since left.
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His treatment included high-dose chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant not an easy journey by any means. But through it all, Echols remained optimistic as ever.
"Even during some of the most challenging days and nights, when I didn't have any energy, I looked for things to be grateful for," he said. "I've always felt like I've been an optimist my entire life, and I've always seen things as the glass half full."
Now, he's on the other side of his cancer journey and sharing what he's learned with the world through his work. He's an emotional intelligence leadership-based trainer and the bestselling co-author of The Two-Week Notice: How to Discover Your Passion, Quit Your Job + Impact Our World.
"Honestly, I've just gotten back into such a rich and beautiful life for myself," he said.
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