A Montcalm County man who battled testicular cancer is now helping others with the emotional toll of the disease. Oryan Wetherington created ‘The Big O Foundation’ to help cancer patients in Montcalm County with mental health therapy, monetary support, and scholarships. The foundation hosts an annual ‘Kicking Cancer with Oryan’ golf fundraiser, which has raised $70,000 to date.
Wetherington’s own experience with cancer inspired him to create the foundation. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2017, during his senior year at Ferris State University. After surgery to remove the cancer, he took some time off from school but ultimately graduated and is now cancer-free.
‘It’s not something that gets talked about a lot, you know, I struggled with what they call ‘survivor’s guilt,” Wetherington said. ‘People forget that it’s a person that’s going through it, staying strong for everybody else, but it takes a mental toll as well on them.’
The foundation’s annual golf fundraiser will take place on Saturday at Brookside Golf and Grill. More information can be found on their website.
