St. Joseph Veteran Battles Brain Cancer With Help From Other Combat Vets
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — A St. Joseph County disabled veteran, battling terminal brain cancer, is starting the new year with more mobility thanks to an organization gaining a foothold in our area.
The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association wanted to provide a disabled hero with a power chair as he battles brain cancer. Not only did they get him his chair, but they brought him friendship and new hope as well.
At 29-years-old Brian Cuyler doesn’t have much time left.
“It is located on my motor track function. So it is right about here,” says Cuyler as he motions to the right side of his head.
Cuyler was diagnosed less than a year ago with stage 4 Gioblastoma: Brain cancer. Cuyler says it is in-operable and terminal. He believes he has less than a year left.
“The last word I got before my treatments was 16 months,” says Cuyler, “And that was 8 months ago.”
Cuyler was recently married and he and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter. His wife is unable to work as she is his sole caregiver. As Cuyler struggles with his diagnosis, his mobility continues to go downhill — a major challenge for the tough, combat Army veteran.
In 2004, following a family tradition and a calling, Cuyler joined the service.
“It is pretty much a tradition to serve. I am a patriot. I love my country. That was my calling,” he says,
He was deployed twice overseas. His service came to an end in 2008 after his convoy took an IED blast and the vehicle he was in crashed into a highway divider.
“During the impact I ended up tearing up my shoulders pretty bad,” explains Cuyler, “that is what ended up separating me medically from the military.”
Then, last year, he received his brain cancer diagnosis.
“Since then, its been this,” says Cuyler as he gets emotional.
But, a few months ago, at a Wounded Warrior event, Cuyler met up with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.
CVMA is a group of combat veterans from all branches of the military who ride motorcycles as a hobby. Right now there are two Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association chapters in Indiana — one in Indianapolis and another in Merrillville. Recently though, they have acquired more riders in our area and hope to form a Michiana chapter this summer.
Their mission is veterans helping veterans.
“The bottom line is it doesn’t matter how we get there, the most important thing we can do is represent our fellow soldier,” says local Detachment Commander, Jim Metherd.
The organization sponsors and participates in motorcycle related charities and donates to veterans causes. Locally, the group has hosted dinners for vets, presented holiday wreaths at local cemeteries and is involved with the patriot guard.
After meeting Cuyler and his family, the group knew they needed to help.
“They surprised me,” says Cuyler, “they gave me a call and told me to be up and dressed by 8:30 and I was like, what is going on and they showed up and had this and I was blown away.”
The group surprised Cuyler with a power chair. The chair was donated by the Scooter Warehouse and now CVMA is raising money for the family.
That chair is helping Cuyler is big ways, allowing him get around and taking some of the burden off his wife.
While the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association may still be a small organization in our area, they’ve made a huge difference for the combat vet who fought for his country and is now fighting for his life.
To help Brian Cuyler contact: [email protected]
To learn more about the local CVMA detachment: https://www.facebook.com/cvmamichiana/?fref=ts
To learn more about the Association: https://www.combatvet.org/
Source: WSBT