EDITOR香蕉视频直播橲 NOTE (May 3, 2018): Keven Drews has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

香蕉视频直播撯赌撯赌�

KEVEN DREWS ANSWERED the phone a little out of breath.

香蕉视频直播淗ey Keven, it香蕉视频直播檚 Beau,香蕉视频直播� I say, trying to sound cheerful in light of the heavy interview that was about to go down. 香蕉视频直播淗ow are you feeling today?香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淯gh,香蕉视频直播� he grunts. 香蕉视频直播淕ood enough to muck around.香蕉视频直播�

Keven was expecting my call.

I hear music playing in the background and if you didn香蕉视频直播檛 know any better, you would get the impression that he was pulled away from mundane household chores, like doing laundry or sweeping out the garage.

Keven was indeed 香蕉视频直播渢idying things up香蕉视频直播� around his Rosemary Heights home on this dreary Thursday morning.

But the kind of tidying up he was doing was anything but mundane.

The 45-year-old former journalist was rounding up all his photos 香蕉视频直播� thousands of them 香蕉视频直播� putting them all in one place so his wife and children will have them when he is gone.

香蕉视频直播淪o I香蕉视频直播檓 busy, but not the kind of busy I want to be,香蕉视频直播� he says, slowly starting to catch his breath.

香蕉视频直播淓ssentially, I香蕉视频直播檓 wrapping my life up.香蕉视频直播�

That is the Keven Drews I know, I think to myself 香蕉视频直播� always doing things to the best of his ability.

Even when preparing to die.

香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�

IF IT WEREN香蕉视频直播橳 for journalism 香蕉视频直播� and maybe music 香蕉视频直播� Keven Drews and I would likely never have been friends.

In the early 2000s, we were just coming from different places. But we worked together at the now defunct Nanaimo Daily News and we bonded over the many shared experiences and challenges that came with working the night desk. Plus, having a gruff, no-nonsense editor straight out of the whiskey-in-your-desk 香蕉视频直播�60s also gave us plenty to vent about.

Music also connected us. Keven knew tons about music, and I was a budding guitar player. In fact, our friendship was cemented when Keven香蕉视频直播檚 talented wife Yvette 香蕉视频直播� now a Surrey school teacher 香蕉视频直播� joined me at the front of a small martini bar in Nanaimo for a three-song acoustic set.

It was my first time playing guitar in public and I remember Keven pushing us to be the best we could be as we rehearsed those three songs again and again.

Anything worth doing is worth doing right. That was the Keven I knew in Nanaimo 香蕉视频直播� it was his mantra about journalism, music, relationships, and life in general.

Later that year, his life changed forever 香蕉视频直播� and I was with him when it happened.

We were surfing on Long Beach in Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, when Keven suddenly screamed out in pain, clutching at his chest and ribs.

香蕉视频直播淚t was like being stabbed in the back with a blunt knife,香蕉视频直播� he said later.

He went to the emergency room but doctors simply thought it was a slipped disc or he had done something to his back out in the surf.

An MRI in 2003 revealed the unthinkable. He had multiple myeloma 香蕉视频直播� cancer of the plasma cells.

香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�

CANCER.

The word shocked him.

香蕉视频直播淚t really felt like I was disassociated from my body,香蕉视频直播� Keven says. 香蕉视频直播淚 felt like I was not there, like it was a movie. Just a complete loss of control over yourself. I don香蕉视频直播檛 mean crying, you just get this sense, what just happened? This force has come into my life and I was just numb.香蕉视频直播�

And multiple myeloma?

That type of cancer typically attacks people in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

Regardless, what the disease had in store for Keven was excruciating pain 香蕉视频直播� 14 years of it.

It香蕉视频直播檚 a disease that starts in the marrow and essentially 香蕉视频直播渂reaks and buckles bone from the inside,香蕉视频直播� as he puts it (at one point, his vertebrae actually came apart).

While it香蕉视频直播檚 not clear what causes multiple myeloma, doctors do know that it begins with one abnormal plasma cell in your bone marrow 香蕉视频直播� the soft, blood-producing tissue that fills in the centre of most of your bones. The abnormal cell multiplies uncontrollably and make more abnormal plasma cells, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. This makes it hard for other blood cells in the bone marrow to develop and work normally.

• SEE ALSO:

Since being diagnosed, Keven has undergone a stem cell transplant as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. After multiple relapses, Keven and his family started raising money near the end of 2017 to send him to a clinical trial based in Seattle.

The trial develops what香蕉视频直播檚 called 香蕉视频直播淐AR T香蕉视频直播� cell therapy. Medical staff would remove from his body and then re-engineer in a lab T cells, the immune system香蕉视频直播檚 killer cells, before infusing them back into his blood stream to attack the cancer.

It was his last chance.

香蕉视频直播淭his is it,香蕉视频直播� he in early November. 香蕉视频直播淚f I don香蕉视频直播檛 do it, I die.香蕉视频直播�

But it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a sure thing. He would have to be accepted 香蕉视频直播� and come up with about $675,000.

No problem. After all, this is Keven Drews we香蕉视频直播檙e talking about, a guy who is using his cancer to teach his two kids a lesson in resilience, about what it means to fight for your life.

香蕉视频直播淗ow fast can I raise this?香蕉视频直播� he said in November. 香蕉视频直播淲e just thought we can香蕉视频直播檛 sit around because of how quickly things move. You gotta fight.香蕉视频直播�

A GoFundMe page was set up and the money started coming in. A Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account were launched. A fundraiser on Vancouver Island was organized.

As the funds started building, so did his family香蕉视频直播檚 hope.

But another storm cloud 香蕉视频直播� perhaps the final one 香蕉视频直播� was on the horizon.

香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淣O CLINICAL TRIAL,香蕉视频直播� read the ominous header on one of Keven香蕉视频直播檚 Facebook posts in early January.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 like to lose,香蕉视频直播� he wrote, 香蕉视频直播渁nd I香蕉视频直播檓 losing my battle against multiple myeloma香蕉视频直播攊n a big way. My team of Vancouver-based doctors informed me last week I would not be participating in the clinical trial I had pinned my hopes of survival on.香蕉视频直播�

In a heart-breaking turn of events, Keven香蕉视频直播檚 out-of-whack calcium and creatinine levels were enough to disqualify him.

香蕉视频直播淭hat means there is nothing left, except for some minor medications, to hold the cancer back, and I am running out of time.香蕉视频直播�

Looking back, his voice brims with pride over the phone as he recounts all he has achieved, despite everything life has thrown at him.

香蕉视频直播淚n 2003, it was death or a transplant, those were the options,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淎nd in those 14 years, I have accomplished a lot. I have no regrets香蕉视频直播� I didn香蕉视频直播檛 waste any time. I had a business going, I did my Masters in creative writing, I had two kids, a wonderful wife.

香蕉视频直播淭here is a lot more I want to accomplish but it香蕉视频直播檚 not gonna happen,香蕉视频直播� he adds, his voice lowering.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 have the time.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�

KEVEN DREWS has always loved writing 香蕉视频直播� and he香蕉视频直播檚 done a lot of it.

After attending school in Surrey, he graduated from UBC and earned a post-degree certificate in journalism from Langara College.

Over his career, he has worked at newspapers in B.C. and Washington state. Most recently, he worked with Canadian Press.

He even completed an MFA in creative non-fiction at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. while undergoing chemo.

These days, he has been putting the finishing touches on his latest personal essay he titled, 香蕉视频直播淔ourteen Years of Pain.香蕉视频直播�

He also reads. A lot.

But there香蕉视频直播檚 a problem.

香蕉视频直播淚 keep ordering books, Beau,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 ordered three books yesterday and I香蕉视频直播檓 wondering if I香蕉视频直播檓 going to get the time to read them.香蕉视频直播�

That香蕉视频直播檚 why every day Keven spends with his wife and two boys is immeasurable.

香蕉视频直播淵our family is the most important thing in the world,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淢y family is here for me right now. And they will be there for me when I meet the end.香蕉视频直播�

By now, you may be wondering 香蕉视频直播� as I was 香蕉视频直播� how does Keven keep it all together? After all, Keven has seen people in his situation simply give up and die when their will was gone.

What is it that gives him such strength?

香蕉视频直播淚 seem to have this internal drive that you have probably seen in my life, going back to Nanaimo, that just pushes me continually forward,香蕉视频直播� he says.

香蕉视频直播淚 just cannot get away from that. It香蕉视频直播檚 this weird feeling, that I want to experience more, and I香蕉视频直播檓 not talking about money.

香蕉视频直播淚 seem to have this drive that makes me want to gain more experiences in life.香蕉视频直播�

He also watches movies 香蕉视频直播� comedies, of course.

香蕉视频直播淵ou have to,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淭his is as much a psychological battle as it is a physical battle.香蕉视频直播�

Finally, Keven shares some advice for people whose lives are being rocked by cancer.

香蕉视频直播淵ou can香蕉视频直播檛 quit,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淒on香蕉视频直播檛 waste any seconds. Just because you get that diagnosis doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean you香蕉视频直播檙e dead.香蕉视频直播�

We end our interview by making plans for coffee 香蕉视频直播� it turns out their new place is just up the road from the Now-Leader office.

But we had better do it quickly, he adds in an ominous tone.

I start saying my goodbyes with a heavy soul.

But somehow, I also feel uplifted. Maybe it is because Keven reminded me of the importance of family 香蕉视频直播� and just how minute some of our day-to-day problems really are in the grand scheme of things.

I also feel inspired, knowing that his story is sure to encourage thousands of people, whether they香蕉视频直播檝e just begun their battle with cancer or are near their journey香蕉视频直播檚 end.

Before I hang up, I thank Keven for his honesty and tell him I admire his strength of character.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a scary thing,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淵ou can quit or you can go on. And I didn香蕉视频直播檛 quit.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淎nd you香蕉视频直播檙e going on,香蕉视频直播� I say as I reach for the big red 香蕉视频直播榮top香蕉视频直播� button on my voice recorder.

香蕉视频直播淵eah,香蕉视频直播� he replies.

香蕉视频直播淲ell, as far as I can, right?香蕉视频直播�

beau.simpson@surreynowleader.com
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