Warsaw Couple Donates $25K To YMCA Campaign
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Kenneth wanted to make this gift because of the impact using the YMCA facilities has had on his health and quality of life.
Retiring from IPFW in December 2010, Kenneth weighed 270 pounds. He decided to start exercising to extend his life, but he had arthritis so exercise was difficult.
He and Eva joined the YMCA in January 2011 through a Silver Sneakers membership and started water walking three days a week, then added Silver Sneakers Yoga.
By August 2012 when he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney, he had lost 50 pounds.
The weight loss made the surgery he needed to remove the kidney possible. He wasn’t the only one who benefited: Eva also lost 50 pounds, lowered her cholesterol and reduced her risk for diabetes.
After losing an additional 30 pounds, in March 2013, Kenneth was diagnosed with liver cancer and had to undergo chemo. He believes losing all the weight at the Y helped him fight through the chemo.
“Exercise and the availability of the warm water pool helped save my life,” he said.
He now water walks two laps a minute, a mile and a half in an hour each time he’s in, which he wouldn’t be able to do on the land because of the arthritis in his knees.
“Hopefully someone in the future will be able to take advantage of the new pool the way I have this one. If people in the past hadn’t given, it wouldn’t have been there for me,” Kenneth said.[[In-content Ad]]
Kenneth wanted to make this gift because of the impact using the YMCA facilities has had on his health and quality of life.
Retiring from IPFW in December 2010, Kenneth weighed 270 pounds. He decided to start exercising to extend his life, but he had arthritis so exercise was difficult.
He and Eva joined the YMCA in January 2011 through a Silver Sneakers membership and started water walking three days a week, then added Silver Sneakers Yoga.
By August 2012 when he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney, he had lost 50 pounds.
The weight loss made the surgery he needed to remove the kidney possible. He wasn’t the only one who benefited: Eva also lost 50 pounds, lowered her cholesterol and reduced her risk for diabetes.
After losing an additional 30 pounds, in March 2013, Kenneth was diagnosed with liver cancer and had to undergo chemo. He believes losing all the weight at the Y helped him fight through the chemo.
“Exercise and the availability of the warm water pool helped save my life,” he said.
He now water walks two laps a minute, a mile and a half in an hour each time he’s in, which he wouldn’t be able to do on the land because of the arthritis in his knees.
“Hopefully someone in the future will be able to take advantage of the new pool the way I have this one. If people in the past hadn’t given, it wouldn’t have been there for me,” Kenneth said.[[In-content Ad]]
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