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On the day of the 2017 total solar eclipse, Gunner Stringham was playing football with his brothers when the football hit his left shin.
“I went down in pain and just started screaming,” Gunner says.
A short time later, he was wrestling with his older brother and was hit in the same spot and went to get it checked out. Though at first doctors didn’t think it was cancer, Gunner was soon diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, unsure if he would ever play football again.
Gunner’s mother, Janae, recalls when she received the call from Kevin Jones, MD, leader of the at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
“He told me he doesn't like to break that news over a phone call, but where we were so far away, so he explained to me what it was,” Janae says. “That night when I had to tell Gunner, you just have this 10-year-old boy looking at you with all the trust in the world. He knew something was coming, but to finally have to just out and tell him what he had and we had to go back for more surgeries. That was tough. We both broke down. It was a tough time.”
Gunner says he knew it was serious, but he didn’t know the depths of how serious. He acknowledges that in that unknown, he was definitely scared.
“The care I received from Dr. Kevin Jones and my care team means the world to me,” Gunner says. “Because back then, I didn't know if I would ever be able to play a sport again. So now that I'm back and better than ever playing football, it really means a lot to me.”
Gunner underwent surgery to remove his cancer and reconstruct his leg under the care of Dr. Jones.
“Dr. Jones is one of the best doctors we’ve ever had,” Janae says. “He was very caring, very thorough, making sure we understood everything that was going on, constantly coming in and checking on Gunner.”
Gunner and his family are grateful for the hope and help provided by Dr. Jones and Gunner’s care team.
A Senior Night to Remember
Seven years later, Gunner is cancer free and playing football for Kimberly High School. On October 11, 2024, he held a fundraising event during his senior night football game, raising money for cancer research at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Gunner had put a lot of thought into what he would do for his senior project when his mom brought up the idea of doing a cancer awareness night.
“That's probably the best idea we could have had because football is dear to me and then cancer was really dear to me, so that really hit home,” Gunner says.
The fundraising event turned out to be more amazing than Gunner imagined.
Dr. Jones didn’t think twice when Gunner asked him to make the trip to Kimberly, Idaho, and address the crowd at halftime. The morning of the fundraiser, Dr. Jones had an appointment in Los Angeles, California. He flew back to Salt Lake City, Utah, where his wife picked him up from the airport, and they made the drive directly to Kimberly.
“When you are involved in such pivotal and critical events in people's lives, it's nothing to drive a few hours to be there for something that matters to them,” Dr. Jones says. “It’s fun to see these pediatric patients grow up. They have such a different perspective on life than I think most other people ever do. That was fun just to see him in a different context, not in a clinic visit.”
During halftime, Gunner brought out other local cancer survivors, who were given footballs signed by the entire team, and Dr. Jones addressed the crowd. After Kimberly won 56-13, the evening closed out with a fireworks show.
The Power of Private Donations
Gunner’s fundraising event raised money through a raffle. Over $1,200 was donated to Huntsman Cancer Foundation, including the generous raffle winner who donated their winnings as well. The raffle funds were then matched by a donor as the Kimberly community came together to raise money for cancer research.
Dr. Jones is so grateful for individuals and families impacted by cancer like Gunner who choose to contribute to cancer research. He believes in the importance of private donations, particularly when it comes to funding for pilot projects for new ideas and new discoveries.
“That kind of discovery work, which I think is so important in rare diseases, is only possible through private donations,” Dr. Jones says.
“There are just so many people that get diagnosed with cancer,” Gunner says. “I feel like everybody should donate to cancer or give something to cancer because it affects everybody at least at one point in our lives.”