Jack Northrup
In 2009, Jack N. was a healthy 30-year-old running a successful concrete business in Delta, CO. With Thanksgiving approaching, he brushed off a sore throat as a case of strep. But when antibiotics didn’t work and his condition rapidly worsened, it became clear something far more serious was going on.
“My gums were swelling, I couldn’t eat, and I was just getting worse every day,” Jack recalled.
A conversation with his sister, a dental assistant, pushed him to go to the emergency room. There, a routine blood test delivered a life-altering result: acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer.
“The ER doctor came in and just said it straight: ‘You have leukemia.’ I didn’t even really know what that meant,” Jack said. “Then he said, ‘blood cancer,’ and I just thought, blood’s everywhere in your body. That was terrifying.”
Jack was referred immediately to the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute (CBCI) at HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke’s in Denver. The next morning, he and his wife, Cindy, made the nearly five-hour drive to begin what would become a life-saving partnership with CBCI.
At Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, a bone marrow biopsy confirmed the AML diagnosis, and the cancer was already advanced. “They were shocked I walked in on my own – most patients at that stage are flown in,” he said.
Under the care of Dr. Tara Gregory and Dr. Michael Maris, Jack began intensive chemotherapy. He responded so well that there was initial hope he could avoid a bone marrow transplant. But genetic testing revealed otherwise.
“Dr. Maris was very honest. He said, ‘You really don’t have another option; you need a transplant,’” Jack said. “That hit hard, knowing what comes with that.”
In a fortunate turn, Jack had three perfect 10-out-of-10 donor matches. A 20-year-old man who lived thousands of miles away ultimately became his donor. While the transplant process wasn’t easy, Jack faced it with resilience. He experienced a few complications, including a prolonged nosebleed and an infection that required emergency care. During the stem cell infusion, he had a rare reaction-- intense shivering that shook his hospital bed, but the medical team responded quickly and had it under control within minutes. “It was like something out of ‘The Exorcist,’” he joked. “But the nurses were incredible. They knew exactly what to do and had it under control within minutes.”
After months of recovery, including daily appointments at CBCI and a temporary stay nearby, Jack was finally able to return home to Delta in May 2010. He surprised his grandfather by showing up at his birthday party that Memorial Day weekend. “I just walked in, and no one expected it. That was a really special moment,” he said.
Over the next two years, Jack continued follow-ups in Denver. Eventually, his doctors gave him the news he had hoped for: he was considered cured.
Now 15 years cancer-free, Jack is living a full and vibrant life with Cindy and their two sons, Cyrus and Hank. Despite early warnings about infertility, the couple conceived naturally after treatment. “It was amazing. We’d frozen samples just in case but didn’t need them. Now I’ve got two healthy, active little boys,” he said.
They spend their days enjoying outdoor adventures like fishing, riding ATVs, mountain biking, and even jamming as a family. Both boys have taken up music and last year performed together at a school talent show.
Jack also found a new career path after leaving his construction business. Today, he works for a local water district in Colorado’s Western Slope.
“After treatment, I had neuropathy in my feet and couldn’t be on concrete floors anymore. But everything kind of led me here, and I love what I do,” he said.
Jack still returns to Colorado Blood Cancer Institute each year for checkups with Dr. Maris, often turning the visit into family adventures in Denver with outings to Water World, the zoo or a Rockies game.
Reflecting on his journey, Jack said he feels nothing but gratitude, for his doctors, the care teams at Colorado Blood Cancer Institute and HCA HealthONE Presbyterian St. Luke’s, and most of all, for the second chance at life.
“When you’re in the middle of it, you don’t know what the future looks like, or if there will even be one,” he said. “But I’m here, I’m healthy, and I’m raising two amazing kids. That’s a gift I’ll never take for granted.”
