Bruce McClelland, Cancer Survivor November 27, 2024

SMJH Volunteer and cancer survivor was just a few years out from a major cardiac event when he got the surprising news from his SMJH doctor that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

A retired intelligence analyst with deep interests in medical writing, photography, and Slavic folklore (especially vampires), Bruce immediately dove into researching his condition and treatment. He talked at length with his doctors and found comfort in the knowledge he was receiving state-of-art-care.

He even managed to find a sense of fun in the eight weeks of daily radiation treatment, administered by a space-age machine Bruce and his friends affectionately dubbed “sniffy the space bear.”

His trademark intellectual curiosity, humor, and warmth got him through the treatment and helped him to connect with his team of SMJH doctors and clinicians. “Everyone was so kind and friendly. It sounds strange, but I missed seeing them every day when it was over,” he says.

Thankfully, Bruce’s doctors say he is now cancer-free. He generously shares the full story of his cancer journey here, in the hopes it will be helpful to others.

We are truly blessed to have Bruce sharing his photography talents as a Sentara Martha Jefferson volunteer. Watch for his beautiful shots of our campus in the year ahead. In the meantime, check out his website for a photographic journey through some of the world’s most stunning places.

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