Curing Cancer One Masterpiece at a Time!™

When you face a cancer diagnosis, practical priorities like finances rarely surface amid the panic, denial, and grief. Once the fog begins to clear, you know you're in for the fight of your life, which will be expensive. I was lucky to meet my Truist financial advisor, Stephen Engelson. His steadfast support, expertise, coaching, mentorship, and friendship were lifesavers.

I first met Stephen after the initial prognosis sent me spiraling. He listened intently as I spilled my story, then calmly crafted a long-view roadmap protecting assets for me and my family. Of course, we prayed I'd defy dire predictions. However, building contingency foundations brought comfort as I faced an unknown future. Futures are always unknowable, but having a doctor tell me, "Martin, you have cancer, and it is very serious," increased worry and stress by an order of magnitude. Yes, a doctor said that, though he isn't my doc anymore. 

What unfolded was a miracle - more than a decade later, I'm still thriving thanks to clinical heroes like Dr. Byrd, who constantly outsmart my mutating leukemia with inventive new therapies. Yet treatment guzzles scares resources such as time and money. Medical journeys will likely drain over $20K out-of-pocket this year alone. If I had done the math for the last eighteen years, we would need to add a zero. 

Having weathered earlier storms, Stephen reconfigured my finances to fund fighting for decades more if science and God allow. He keeps adjusting course so I can defy the odds and do what I love, such as creating a collection of North Carolina artists called Cancer. Throughout the turbulence, his wisdom and empathy moves me forward.

Compassionate collaborators make healing possible. While caregivers and researchers save physical lives, advisors like Stephen saved my financial future. Together, they lift frightening new burdens so we cancer patients like me walk on. I'm here thanks to their service. My humble mission is to pay that miracle forward before my watch stops. Thanks, Stephen and Truist, for making my life possible.