WIMAUMA
Jonathan Black's ever-present smile continues to shine, even through a persistent pain racking his body.
Black, a 40-year-old detention corporal for Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, initially suffered from a lot of back and abdomen pain, and thought he had gallstones. From research, he discovered fried food and sugar can cause a gallstones attack, so he eliminated them from his diet in hopes of decreasing the pain. However, it just wouldn't subside.
On Nov. 21, doctors conducted an ultrasound and said his pancreas looked enlarged, but they didn't have what they needed so they requested a CAT scan for further detection.
"Life must go on," said Black.
He went to work on Thanksgiving and the next day, Black Friday (Nov. 24), a phone call halted his routine trip grocery and Christmas shopping. The doctor called to say he found a mass in his pancreas and a blood clot in his right lung. He had no choice but to stop everything and go to the hospital immediately.
The diagnosis? Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
The news heightened the admiration of his colleagues.
"He's a true hero, he remains positive, and he has such a great outlook on life," said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
"His people enjoyed working for him. He brought that passion to work everyday. So we're prepared and will be there for him spiritually, financially and whatever his family needs."
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Black and his wife Heather learned of his diagnosis just a month before the second anniversary of the passing of their daughter Emily Rose Sabow, who died in a tragic accident from carbon monoxide poisoning on Dec. 21 of 2015.
The Black family, kind and hopeful, shared their story for Holiday Hopes, the annual Tampa Bay Times series that asks readers to fulfill the wishes of those in need.
Sabow, 14, a freshman and leader on the East Bay High junior varsity volleyball team, was beloved by many, and known for her obsession with makeup, her passion for life and for always wearing a smile.
The Blacks said it was unusual to not get a response from her and immediately knew something was wrong. They searched everywhere they could think a teenager would hang out along with the police and found her and the body of friend Dorian Andres Gomez Poehlmann in the garage of his mother's St. Petersburg home inside the family's 2002 Mitsubishi.
He described going in the garage as the best and worst day of his life. The best because he always promised his children that if they were in trouble he would always find them, and the worst because of the predicament.
"Just the worst feeling in the world as a parent something happening to your child and not being able to protect them from it," Black said.
"I tried to make some deals with God on that one, I'm old enough, I've done enough. Trade me and bring her back."
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As one can imagine the holidays prove difficult for the Blacks and their four children, including Emily's twin sister Lauren. Learning the day after Thanksgiving that Jonathan had pancreatic cancer added another battle, but the Black family remains hopeful and are determined not to be another statistic.
"We had come to a point where we both decided that we're tired of being depressed grieving over Emily, she would want us to be happy," Black said.
He described that day (Nov. 24) as a pinnacle for him and his wife, making them stronger than ever before because they decided they were going to be happy and not let it steal their joy or tear their family apart.
"I had a very simple choice to make that day, only two to make," Jonathan said.
"I could be angry at God, I could ask the wrong question which is why, and fade away into a depression again, or I could say I'm not giving up, I'm going to win, and we're going to pull together on this and move forward with positivity."
Pancreatic cancer is considered rare with fewer than 200,000 reported U.S. cases per year.
But it is deadly.
It begins in the organ lying behind the lower part of the stomach when cells start to multiply out of control and form a mass and can spread to other parts of the body. It is often detected late since there are no symptoms in the early stages.
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Through Holiday Hopes, the Black family hopes to bring awareness of both pancreatic cancer and the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. They stress how extremely blessed they are, and the biggest thing they request is prayer as Jonathan began his chemotherapy treatments earlier this week.
However, if they had one wish it would be to start a nonprofit or organization focusing on altering insurance policies that aren't willing to pay for things like this, and detecting pancreatic cancer early before it's too late. They're seeking donations at freefunder.com/campaign/jons-pancreatic-cancer-fight.
"Not for one second have I ever thought this was a death sentence," said his wife Heather Black.
"I'm not even worried about him dying from this. He's going to make it. God is on our side."
Contact Monique Welch at mwelch@tampabay.com
Holiday Hopes
For the 12th consecutive year, the Tampa Bay Times presents Holiday Hopes, a series profiling people in need and giving readers a chance to help. The Times will update readers about granted wishes on Dec. 24.
The Wish
The Black family hopes to start a nonprofit geared towards bringing awareness of both pancreatic cancer and the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, detecting pancreatic cancer early, and working with insurance companies to cover the expenses. To help: Message the Blacks on their facebook page: Our Battle Through Pancreatic Cancer to help fulfill their dream of starting a nonprofit and support Jonathan's pancreatic cancer fight by donating at freefunder.com/campaign/jons-pancreatic-cancer-fight.
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