Dylan Wisman- Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. Advocate.
Dylan's Story
Hi my name is Dylan Wisman, 28 years old from Winchester, VA. This story all began on November 17, 2023 in Missouri while I was deer hunting. I was back in Columbia, MO for an alumni wrestling weekend. Being who I am, I went out early in the week to go chase after another Missouri Wall Hanger. But instead that Friday would be a day that would forever change my life. I began to pee blood and have terrible side aches, here I am over ½ a mile from my car out in the woods 30 minutes from urgent care.
A little over 2 weeks later I was back in Virginia when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Kidney Cancer. I got genetic testing done and I tested positive for HLRCC. I have no idea what any of this means, I’m 27 years old and I just got told that I have Stage 3 Kidney Cancer. The doctors tell me removing the Kidney is the best course of action so that’s the plan we go with. I’m used to surgeries with recoveries, anyone who knows me knows that the storyline of my college wrestling career was some surgeries with recoveries.
The date of surgery arrives, February 20, 2024 exactly 1 year ago today. This is where the story takes a turn. I came out of surgery and that’s when they told me there was another tumor on my vena cava which is the largest vein to your heart and they told me that the doctor was unable to remove it due to the complexity. It becomes a lot more complicated than the original plan of surgery with a recovery.
8 weeks later we spent a few days at NIH Bethesda and I got scanned from head to toe doing every test to determine the next course of action.
It’s May, we go in to review the scans and the cancer has spread.
I now have it on my right lung, liver, spleen, pelvis, L2, T2, T10, under my right scapula and there’s a 13x6cm mass replacing where my right kidney once was. Stage 3 turns to Stage 4. I was able to still manage to kill 3 turkeys and tag out in Virginia with all this going on. I told myself if I was gonna be in pain and miserable that I’d rather do it in the blind turkey hunting rather than sitting inside.
Treatment begins and things get worse.
And that’s when I did the only thing I knew to do and continued to drag myself out into nature, get outside, prep for the upcoming deer season or any excuse I could to be out in the woods. The woods, water, mountains and doing anything outdoors has always been my escape for as long as I can remember. Hunting, fishing and being in the outdoors are the memories that stick with me still to this day whether it be successful hunts, failed hunts, forgetting to put a gun in the case and driving all the way to go hunting, all the deer my brother Billy used to have to gut and skin for me iykyk or even the times I’ve helped buddies drag deer out the woods, it’s all about being selfless and enjoying the moments.
There’s a comradery that comes with going hunting and fishing that I love, it’s something you have to experience to understand.
And that is where I came up with “The Outdoorsman Fellowship” , a way to spread awareness and raise money for research for HLRCC. This is not only something that affects me but I also have a sister and baby nephew with HLRCC.. I want to share my story to show others the power of being outdoors and using the restorative powers of nature. We have gotten away from the simple things and I want to show not just cancer patients but anyone experiencing tough times that nature is god's greatest creation and no matter what you are going through, no matter how bad, how dark it may be that nature is a escape we all have access to in some shape or from.
