Hope On The Slopes

2024
– Our 14^th Year as Team NickStrong

Larry and Sherrie Ruschmeyer hit the slopes to support their son who was diagnosed with ocular melanoma.

In 2010 our son Nicholas heard the words “You have cancer.”  He was only 20 years old and a sophomore in college.  Nick was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, an ocular melanoma.   The biopsy indicated that his left eye had to be removed; the following year the cancer spread to his lungs. He faced this challenge with courage, strength, determination, and hope.  He had 8 years of being cancer free and then in December of 2018, he was diagnosed with two brain tumors that were immediately removed and underwent aggressive immunotherapy treatments.    In January 2020, Nick was diagnosed with LMD and the cancer had spread throughout his cerebral spinal fluid.  We found a clinical trial at MD Anderson in Texas.  He was the 1st person on the face of the earth who had ocular melanoma to be accepted into this trial.  From March – August 2020 Nick and I traveled to Houston  TX every other week for treatment.  Unfortunately, the trial did not work for Nick, and in August he was told there was nothing else they could do.  Nicholas never did give up hope and he continued to fight for his life until his last day.  Nicholas passed away at home with his family on December 5th, 2020 and was a warrior to the end.  

Nick will continue to live on in all who loved him so much!  His love of life, family, and friends was apparent to everyone. His light is truly a beacon in the darkness.  His kindness, generosity to others, joy, adventurous spirit, laughter, and encouragement he gave to so many, will be remembered forever.   My hope is that the money that Team NickStrong raises at the Hope on the Slopes event at Jay Peak helps the American Cancer Society funds research for metastatic ocular melanoma because it is so very rare.