John Michael Pierce was a Vestavia native who loved everything about life. John Michael was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at the age of 24, however, he used his illness to bring people together and continues to do so even in his passing. John Michael attended the University of Alabama and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, where he served as the Social Chair.
John Michael lost the battle with cancer on November 17th, 2021 at the age of 25. His family continues to honor his battle by continuing the fight against Esophageal Cancer through the established John Michael Pierce Foundation.
Early years
John Michael was best described by all his friends and family as the life of the party. He was the glue that held his friend group together and served as sympathetic ear to anyone he could help. I had the opportunity to sit down with his family and they told me many stories about John Michael’s childhood and the kind of man he was
From the stories of his family, John Michael was the kind of guy who would intentionally get in trouble at football practice to help his friend go clean the toilets. He was the type of guy who brings a snowball back to Alabama from Kentucky in a cooler just because a cute senior girl told him she wanted to see snow during the holidays. His mother, Patti Pierce, stated, “He spent every day of his 25 years on earth ensuring his friends and family always felt special.” This sentiment was made very clear through his friends and colleagues at the Foundation’s events held over the weekend.
John Michael had a thirst for adventure and eventually his favorite saying, “Let’s make a memory” became the rallying cry for the JMP Foundation. He was avid golfer and spent much of his time out on the water swimming and deep-sea fishing. He loved watching sunsets while sipping an Old Fashioned with his friends. Coleman Kitchens, childhood friend, describes John Michael as, “The life of the party, the glue of the friend group, and organizer of everything they did.”
Post-diagnosis
In John Michael’s testimony, he tells the story of his first detection of his cancer. While out on a date, John Michael choked on his steak and had to go to the bathroom to do jumping jacks to get it down. Eventually, this became a more frequent occurrence. After deciding enough was enough, John Michael was able to get an endoscopy performed where the doctor was not even able to get the camera down his throat. John Michael had more tests run and he was informed that he had stage 4 esophageal cancer.
Upon receiving the news, John Michael sent a loving text to all his friends informing them of his diagnosis and that he wanted “to keep it business as usual.” He wasn’t going to let his disease define him, and he was determined to face every day with a positive attitude.
John Michael was a firm believer in Christ and lived each day with Joshua 1:9 in his heart. Once his diagnosis was confirmed, his sister recalls finding him in his car at a Publix with his eyes closed, praying for the courage and strength to beat this disease. John was loved and will never be forgotten, and the John Michael Pierce Foundation works diligently to ensure this.
John Michael Pierce Foundation
The JMP Foundation was formed by family and friends of John Michael in order to build awareness in young adults about the early signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is on the rise in young adults and early symptoms don’t seem significant, but most don’t discover the cancer until the late stages, limiting the success of treatment options. Please see a doctor and investigate if you are experiencing persistent heartburn, hoarseness, cough, or difficulty swallowing.
In 2020, Lucid Diagnostics was highlighted in the National Cancer Institutes 2020 Annual Plan and Budget Proposal. They have developed a new early detection device (EsoGuard) that received the Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA. It is meant to facilitate the diagnosis of Barrett’s Esophagus (BE), with and without dysplasia. EsoGuard is a new key tool in detecting esophageal cancer before it reaches its lethal stage.
Castle Biosciences is also taking the fight to Barrett’s disease through their TissueCypher technology. This test uses biomarkers, spatial biology, and AI-driven risk classifier to identify a patient’s five-year risk of progression to high-grade dysplasia or esophageal adenocarcinoma. This advancement of technology and the use of artificial intelligence is helping patients to accurately predict the early stages of cancer. Both of these companies and their developments are going to help save thousands of lives.
Donations
The John Michael Pierce Foundation is meant to promote the positive attitude John Michael had in his battle with Esophageal Cancer. To honor him, the JMP Foundation uses donations to raise awareness EC as well as make annual contributions to organizations that he cared for passionately: Robert E. Reed GI Oncology Research Foundation and Highlands College
On top of that, to honor John Michael’s entrepreneurial spirit, the John Michael Pierce Entrepreneurial Fund was established to invest in aspiring entrepreneurs and help them reach their dreams.
Events
Every year, the John Michael Pierce Foundation holds 2 fundraising events in memorial for John Michael and to continue his reputation of bringing everybody together. This past weekend was their Zoo Party, held at Birmingham Zoo, and JMP Golf Classic held at Highland Park Golf Course. These events are held to capture some of John Michael’s favorite things to do.
He loved golf and he never turned down a reason to party with his friends. I had the privilege to have attended and met a lot of his childhood and college friends and their sentiments were all the same, “Even now, he’s finding reasons to bring us all together to hang out. He’s our glue”.
