Modeling Courage in the Community

Sometimes, the cycle of life isn’t what you’d expect. In 2008, Nate Krugman stood in the shower with an ominous feeling that the illness he was experiencing was cancer. He’d never been sick. He’d only been to the doctor for a broken arm.

“I was nervous because I had a hunch it was something really bad,” says Krugman.

He was diagnosed at 24 years old with testicular cancer. “I told God I would trust him through this,” says Krugman. “Even though I thought I heard a potential death sentence, I experienced strength out of my weakness. I was ready for the fight of my life. When I started the journey, the road ahead seemed daunting but my faith and family got me through the finish line.”

Nate would face many uphill battles when it came to treating his illness. But second to the medical challenges was the battle of dealing with medical bills, and now that Krugman is cancer-free, he's working to help others deal with theirs.

“It’s like being kicked when you’re down,” says Krugman about navigating medical bills while trying to fight cancer. “There are a lot of people who need immediate relief. I couldn’t imagine if I got cancer again now that I have small kids,” he says of daughter Harper, 3, and newborn son, Harrison, with wife Sarah, who was his girlfriend when he battled cancer.

“I would get a lot of get well soon cards, and those were great, don’t get me wrong, but none of those cards had an answer to the onslaught of medical bills,” Krugman adds. And that’s just what he intends to do for others.

When the medical bills started coming in, Krugman says, “I was making around $10 an hour. My out-of-pocket costs restarted because my company changed insurance providers. I had to move back in with my parents. My girlfriend, who is now my wife, was writing me a check for one of my bills and I promised her I was going to help people with their medical bills.”

He adds, “It was a few weeks later, when I finished chemo and felt a strong calling to ride my bike across the country to help raise money for those in a similar predicament. The challenge was as equally daunting as the diagnosis because I didn’t own a bike and I had a mountain of debt.”

He began testing his limits, regaining his strength. At first, just running around a block in his neighborhood was hard on him. But he continued to get stronger. He also worked to pay off his own debt - $88,000, primarily medical bills and student loans. When he was both physically and financially sound, he bought his bike. Now, he is preparing to ride cross-country to help others. Proceeds raised through his ride will directly benefit The Charitable Care Fund at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center who help families struggling to pay their medical bills.

Director of Corporate Outreach for The Spirit of Cincinnatus and The Rusty Ball, Joseph Jones, is working with Krugman to make sure funds reach those who need them most. The mission of The Spirit of Cincinnatus is to improve the overall quality of life by providing assistance for those faced with unexpected challenges and opportunities. The organization comprises a 100-percent volunteer team that believes in working together to provide uncommon results in their community. Jones says he believes Krugman’s ride is one such opportunity to make an important difference.

“There are people who lose their homes, are forced to go through their children’s college savings and who lose it all,” says Jones. The physical and emotional toll of cancer is devastating but equally is the mountains of medical debt.

Krugman says this is “go time.” He’s been preparing for his upcoming ride with ride across Indiana. “I’m not a cyclist,” says Krugman. “I’m just a guy who wants to help people. If I can do this, others impacted by cancer, might be encouraged to keep fighting or to start.”

During his cross-county ride from California to Florida which starts October 16th, Krugman says he “wants to help people and to inspire people by showing that an ordinary guy can do extraordinary things to help people. I want to model courage by replacing my fear with freedom and encouraging others to follow.”

At five years cancer free, Krugman doesn’t take anything for granted. He knows the cancer could come back at any time, but he keeps a positive spirit and keeps cycling forward to encourage others.

How You Can Help

To learn more about Krugman’s ride, visit his site, courage4cancer.org where you can donate and follow him along the ride.

To learn more about getting involved with The Spirit of Cincinnatus, visit www.spiritofcincinnatus.org. Business representatives who want to partner with Krugman’s courage4cancer or other initiatives of The Spirit of Cincinnatus on a corporate basis can contact Joseph Jones directly at joseph.jones@spiritofcincinnatus.org.