Naples man beats cancer, celebrates milestone with community support

A young man’s battle against cancer has turned into a triumphant story of survival and hope.

Jace Yawnick faced a daunting diagnosis when a volleyball-sized tumor was discovered in his chest after a persistent cough led him to seek medical attention.

“So many times I would take my chemo pole and roll it out, and I would just take laps to get movement,” Yawnick said. “And every lap, I would look at that bell and say to myself, I’m going to ring that bell. One day last week, I finally did it; it was the best feeling in the world.”

Doctors initially struggled to diagnose Yawnick’s condition, attributing his symptoms to a possible hernia.

An X-ray revealed the true cause was two fluid-filled masses pressing on his heart.

“My masses in my chest, two of them were fluid-filled, parts of them, and the fluid was pouring into the area that my heart was, which was drowning my heart,” Yawnick said.

For nearly a year, Yawnick endured 100-hour chemotherapy sessions every 14 days, spending most of his weekdays in the hospital.

The story turned positive when Yawnick attended the NCH Ball to honor the doctors and nurses who played a crucial role in his recovery.

“I’m here tonight to honor the people who helped to save my life at NCH, the nurses. And I mean, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” said Yawnick.

The evening culminated in a heartwarming celebration as the community, inspired by his journey, erupted in bell-ringing.

When asked about his future, Yawnick said, “I will live as much as I can fit into it, but certainly spend as much time as I can with my family, with my friends, and with my beautiful girlfriend, Sarah, who I will spend the rest of my life with.”

Yawnick’s journey has also inspired a social media following of over 700,000 with his page “Jace Beats Cancer.”

He has since launched a nonprofit to provide grants to local cancer fighters.

For more information about his nonprofit, click here.