Surfrider Coasts Back to Health
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

John Kuhlken conquers non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

John Kuhlken is an experienced surfer, and as every surfer knows, the sport sometimes involves some pretty large waves. But Kuhlken faced his biggest wave on land. In 1996, he was diagnosed with advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the blood and lymph nodes that had spread to his bone marrow. 

John Kuhlken

He was treated with chemotherapy and radiation and went into remission, but relapsed two years later.  That’s when he turned to City of Hope for help.  Doctors at City of Hope recommended bone marrow transplantation.  And though his recovery was difficult, Kuhlken made it through, thanks to the expertise of his health-care team and the latest in medical advancements.

City of Hope has one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplantation programs in the nation. “Things lined up in my favor,” he says. With cancer firmly beaten, Kuhlken helps raise funds for cancer research by serving as a City of Hope patient speaker and participating in fundraising events such as a 100-mile long bike ride and benefit concerts where he performs on drums.  Kuhlken is optimistic about new medical discoveries being made every day: “We need to let people know that today there is hope, no matter what their diagnosis,” he says. It is that spirit that helped Kuhlken ride the waves of medical innovation back to health.