This week on the Heads 'N Tales Podcast Kevin traveled to Jersey City, NJ to interview Dan Exter, founder of Layups 4 Life. Saturday morning, July 13, 2013, Dan awoke to anyone's worst nightmare come true - a doctor with bad news. After a night out with friends, Dan received 2 missed calls and a voicemail from his doctor. The urgent news Dan's doctor had for him would change his life forever. Dan had been seeing a lung specialist to address the shortness of breath he had been experiencing for the previous few months. After trying inhalers to no avail his father recommended that he see a lung specialist in NYC.

Ultimately, Dan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In this episode Dan talks about the plan of action that was taken by the doctors to fight the cancer. This included radiation, chemotherapy and a t-cell depleted stem cell transplant. Dan goes into detail about these treatments and how luck actually was on his side in some instances, like when his brother was a perfect match to be his stem cell donor. He also talks about the emotional ups and downs that come with going through a traumatic experience like fighting cancer and how to keep a positive attitude. At one point when Dan was unsure if he would beat this disease, he thought about what his legacy would be when he was gone.

Clinical trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the hospital where Dan received his treatments, proved the effectiveness of t-cell depleted stem cell transplants. To give back to the hospital that save his life he created Layups 4 Life, which is a 3 on 3 basketball tournament that raises money for life-saving clinical trial research at MSK. At last years first annual Layups 4 Life at Roxbury High School in Succasunna, NJ he raised over $10,000. View the video below to see what the event is all about!

Join us for the 2nd Annual Layups 4 Life, 3-on-3 Hoop-It Up tournament being held on Sunday, April 10 at 10:30 a.m. at Roxbury High School (1 Bryant Dr. Succasunna, NJ). Teams must be in groups of 4, ages 15+ can register. Click on the following link to sign up : REGISTER. Even if you don't want to play, come to support the cause, listen to the DJ, win some raffle prizes, bid on the silent auction items or indulge at the concession stand like I will be doing.