Need some inspiration? Meet this New Mexican
His is a story of struggle, pain, strength, resilience
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Updated: 4:54 PM MDT Apr 8, 2021
His is a story of struggle, pain, strength, resilience
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Updated: 4:54 PM MDT Apr 8, 2021
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I INTERVIEW A LOT OF PEOPLE EVERY DAY AND VERY RARELY DO GET TO MEET SOMEONE LIKE KYLE. I THINK YOU’RE GONNA LIKE HIM AND WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. KYLE STEP WAS BORN IN ALBUQUERQUE. VERY YOUNG AGE HIS FAMILY MOVED TO NEVADA TO START OVER UNFORTUNATELY OVER THE COURSE OF MY CHILDHOOD AS A LOT OF FAMILIES FALL INTO ADDICTION. I GREW UP IN BOYS HOME AT 14. HE MOVED BACK TO ALBUQUERQUE TO LIVE WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS ONE DAY AT SCHOOL. HE WAS PLAYING KICKBALL WHEN HE FELL TO THE GROUND AN EXCRUCIATING PAIN A DOCTOR TOLD HIM TO GET TO UNM CHILDREN HOSPITAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE KYLE HEARD THE WORDS. HE WILL NEVER FORGET. WE WE HAVE A WE HAVE A HUNCH THAT YOU YOU HAVE CANCER HE DID BUT I REMEMBER LOOKING INTO MY GRANDPARENTS’ EYES AND LOOKING INTO THE DOCTOR’S EYES AND THEY SAID LET’S GO. OKAY. LET’S DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN AND WITHIN A WEEK I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR OSTEOSARCOMA AND GIVEN A PROGNOSIS OF 20% CHANCE TO LIVE BONE CANCER THAT HAD SPREAD DOCTORS REMOVED THE TUMOR AND REPLACED PART OF HIS LEG WITH A STEEL ROD. KYLE WENT THROUGH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY OVER THE YEARS. HE SAID THE DOCTORS AND STAFF AT UNM CANCER CENTER. BECAME HIS FAMILY. SO TOO DID THE OTHER KIDS GOING THROUGH TREATMENT LAST FALL. KYLE WAS IN A MOUNTAIN BIKING ACCIDENT DOCTORS HAD TO REMOVE HIS LEG NOT THOUGH. DIDN’T STOP KYLE THAT PAIN IS GIVING ME A PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD. AND THAT PERSPECTIVE FOR ME IS A PRIVILEGE BECAUSE I GET TO VIEW THE WORLD FROM SUCH A DEEP BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND IT’S BECOME A CALLING. HE ROCK CLIMBS BIKES AND TO ONE DAY PURSUE THE PARALYMPICS. HE ALSO WORKS WITH OTHER CANCER PATIENTS AND HAS A MESSAGE FOR ANYONE WHETHER YOU’VE HAD CANCER OR ARE JUST STRUGGLING WHEN WE SEE SOMEONE GO THROUGH THEIR OWN BATTLE IS BEING WILLED TO PICK UP THE PHONE. AND LET’S GET BACK TO OUR LIVES KYLE VOLUNTEERS AT CAMP ENCHANTMENT A CAMP FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND HE’S AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE LOBO CANCER CHALLENGE WHICH BENEFITS THE CANCER CENTER CALLED TELLS ME THIS FALL HE IS GOING TO BE BACK TAKING PART IN THE LOBO CANCER CHALLENGE AND HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO BE WRITING 100 MILES AND DOING IT WITH ONE LEG.