The group chat that saved a life: Jeff’s story
Patient Story
Jeff Weddig has always been a firm believer that the right people come into your life at the right time for the right reason.
That mantra rang especially true last year when a WhatsApp group chat changed his life.
“I have a group of friends that likes to remind each other: ‘hey, book that doctor’s appointment, get your tests done,’” says Jeff, a 56-year-old father and former Laurier football player.
One day, they urged us to get a prostate screening – and I listened.
Jeff was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer last November after his family doctor sent him for further testing. As he went through treatment at Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN), his friends and extended family – especially his wife Sarah, his sons McGowan and Millar, his pup Aussie, his dad Wolf, and his aunt Pat – showed up for him most.
When Jeff learned the cancer had spread to his hip, his friends and family were there to comfort him. When he started treatment – 11 rounds of radiation – they drove him to appointments and cheered him up on his hardest days.
Known as “The ‘87 Group,” the lifesaving WhatsApp chat includes 36 former Laurier football players and is named for the year they won the Yates Cup. While Jeff didn’t join the team until 1989, his friendship with that core group has grown in recent years.
“After my last treatment, 10 of those guys and a close lacrosse friend were waiting outside the hospital for me, blowing horns, cheering,” he says. “I’m grateful to have my Laurier football friends, my high school friends (we call ourselves GUTSS), my Rams lacrosse friends, and my family.”
A way to give back
On Thurs. Nov. 27, Jeff is hosting Swing for the Screen, a tournament at a golf simulator in Waterloo to raise money for WRHN’s Cancer Centre.
Registration includes tournament play, lunch, and a donation. Participants can further support WRHN by buying mulligans for bad shots and bidding on auction items.
“When I looked around the Cancer Centre and saw the patients there and the equipment they needed, it was a real eye-opener,” he says.
I want to raise as much as possible. And I want to remind people to get screened for cancer, because early detection makes a difference.
A year after his diagnosis, Jeff is doing well. While doctors can’t declare him officially cancer-free, his latest scans have shown no trace of the disease.
He’s thankful for the care he received at WRHN – beyond just looking after his illness.
His care team ensured he had access to expensive medication, took time to explain his treatment plan, and shared promising results with genuine joy and excitement.
“It wasn’t just: ‘Your PSA levels have dropped. See you in six months.’ It was like: ‘This is fantastic. You’re doing great. We’re really happy with this,” says Jeff, praising Dr. Ramana Rachakonda and Dr. Anupam Batra as “the two best doctors I’ve ever dealt with.”
We’re so fortunate to have this incredible Cancer Centre in our community. And if Swing for the Screen can help support care for other patients, I’ll be thrilled.
Want to support Swing for the Screen?
Join Jeff on Thursday, November 27th for an afternoon of fun, food, and fundraising in support of prostate cancer needs at the Waterloo Regional Health Network Cancer Centre.