At Wellness House, hope is not a distant promise. It is something you feel the moment you walk through the door. For Johnny, navigating life with cancer in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, that moment came when he least expected it and exactly when he needed it most.
“When I first heard about Wellness House, I didn’t take the time to really look through the materials,” Johnny admits. “I thought, ‘I’ve got too much going on to be going to some program.’” But the nurses at his hospital kept mentioning it, particularly one young woman who wouldn’t give up on him. Eventually, curiosity, and maybe a little stubborn hope, won out. “One day I thought, what do I have to lose? Let me see what this place is about.”
What Johnny found wasn’t just a place; it was a community that felt like home.
“The first person I met was Emily. She gave me a tour, explained all the programs, and from that moment on, I was hooked. I always say Wellness House is like Disney World; it’s the most wonderful place. It’s that special.”
But his journey to that moment was anything but magical. The shock of a cancer diagnosis left Johnny unmoored and adrift. “For the first couple of weeks, my mind went blank. Then came the doom and gloom. It took me six months just to accept it.” Chemotherapy took a physical toll; the emotional weight was even heavier. “I felt like I was standing in a room full of people, yet no one could hear me. Like nobody understood what I was going through.”
That changed one afternoon in a meditation class at Wellness House. Angela, a Wellness House instructor, was leading the group when another participant began sharing how isolated she felt in her cancer journey. For Johnny, it was a moment of quiet revelation. “It was the same thing I was feeling. Hearing her say it out loud made me realize I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t the only one.”
In that circle of shared stories, Johnny found his footing again. Wellness House became more than a series of programs; it became a lifeline, pulling him back into a community that cared. Cooking classes, meditation, support groups; each experience chipped away at the loneliness. Staff members Emily, Jeri, Jane, Angela, Casey, Marcela, and so many others became more than familiar faces; they became trusted guides of care and connection, offering not just expertise, but a heartfelt presence that made Wellness House feel personal and real.
“The people here don’t just know your name—they remember you. If I miss a week, they ask where I’ve been. That’s powerful. That makes you feel like you matter.”
Before Wellness House, Johnny had begun to let go of life. “I thought maybe this was it. I didn’t want to fight anymore.” But something shifted. The simple act of being seen, being remembered, lit a spark. “Now, I look forward to life. I’ve learned that a diagnosis isn’t the end; it’s just a new chapter. A different normal.”
Part of that new chapter is sharing his story. “I don’t see a lot of men coming here, and I want that to change. If my story encourages even one man to walk through these doors, it’s worth it.”
Johnny’s journey is a reminder that healing isn’t only found in treatments or therapies; it is found in the shared moments that tether us to hope. It begins with connection, with community, and with the courage to take that first, uncertain step.
“Wellness House is such a wonderful place,” Johnny says. “It’s where I learned I’m not fighting this alone.”
Johnny – Participant
