"Happy to be Alive": Plymouth man shares blood cancer story
(CBS DETROIT) - "I just heard the word cancer and everything went black and just was like, woah," says Paris Jones, recalling that day in 2019 when he was told he had blood cancer.
It seems like just a short time ago, he was re-learning how to walk. It started with pneumonia, then pain in his lower back, then having a hard time moving accommodated with fractures and broken bones. Blood cancer was the diagnosis, rocking Jones and his family.
"Treatment did not begin immediately based on our insurance," Jones says his family took to many resources to find the finances to pay for treatment.
The Plymouth family eventually coming across the Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan. Director of Patient Support, Melissa Antoncic says they were able to provide some support to the family, including Christmas gifts for their children.
"Sometimes, even if you can afford the holiday toys, you may be hospitalized and you don't have the means to actually go out and pick up those toys," Antoncic says.
"During Paris' struggles and treatment, he and his wife Alison were able to start AliveandKind, a clothing brand that started from something Paris said daily, "I'm just happy to be alive".
The Jones family used a portion of those proceeds as a means to help the Blood Cancer Foundation of Michigan and those families facing the same adversity that they did.
"So many people helped us and we just really wanted to be able to like give back in some way," Alison said.
