Canoe trip of a lifetime

For some people, a cancer diagnosis stops life in its tracks. For one Orange County man, it became the start of an incredible new journey. Yeah, after getting some cutting-edge treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Frank Carter didn't just survive. He paddled more than 2,000 miles down the Missouri River with his four-legged best buddy. FOX 13's Jennifer Veiglas has his remarkable story. 67-year-old Frank Carter has always had a thirst for adventure. From spending five months hiking the Appalachian Trail to cycling from San Diego to New Smyrna. Really just bringing the essence out of life. In 2021, he wanted his next feat to be his biggest yet, but his body had other plans. After a 5k race, I just wasn't recovering. So I went the next week to my doctor, had a blood test. Long story short, within two weeks I was getting chemo. He was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer that forms in the lymphocytes. I really kind of felt like I needed that best friend again. Then came a dog named Amos. Staying by Frank's side through 15 rounds of chemotherapy, which shrank most of the cancer, but didn't eliminate it. That's when he turned to Moffitt. At that point they decided that I was a good candidate for CAR T. His oncologist, Dr. Michael Jane, says it's a cutting-edge form of adoptive cell therapy teaching the immune system to attack the cancer. What we've learned to do is if we take those T cells, genetically engineer them by putting something called a CAR into them, now these T cells can see the tumor and get rid of it where before the tumor is able to hide from it. The one-time infusion changed his life. That was over four years ago and I'm cancer clean at this point. It was a heck of a journey. And his next big journey was right around the corner. Built a cedar strip canoe and it took me almost a year to do it. He and Amos took on the Missouri River Expedition. From the headwaters in Montana to the end of it, which is just north of St. Louis, Missouri, 2,341 miles, and Amos went with me. Together, over 64 days, sleeping in a tent, enduring whatever Mother Nature brought. Those storms out there, 50, 60 mile an hour winds on the front end and back of them and hail. Now, he's on the other side of the storm with a message. I would say stay positive and try to stay active. Jennifer Veiglas, FOX 13 News.