Sherry Pollex battling cancer again (NASCAR Driver Martin Truex Jr. Girlfriend) DECEMBER 18, 2020 AT 11:40 AM

https://www.jayski.com ^ | DECEMBER 18, 2020 | Sherry Pollex

[mabarker1]

Sherry Pollex, girlfriend of Martin Truex, Jr., announced Friday morning on social media that she is, again, battling cancer.

Sherry was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer six years ago and has successfully battled it twice so far.

SherryStrong 13 hours ago

Yesterday on my way to the hospital this excerpt from one of my bible studies popped up on my phone. “Jesus made a way for me so I can make a way for others.” It was from one of my bible studies and I couldn’t help to feel like He needed me to read that on my way to fight again so I can survive this awful disease and be a beacon of light for others fighting. I am confident my God has paved the way before me and already has my life path in His hands. Unfortunately my cancer is back (which is expected with Stage 3C recurrent ovarian cancer as the cancer begins to outsmart the drugs we are on). So here I am going to battle again. Praying my doctors can remove all of the disease so I can start chemo again soon and be out there fighting for all of you soon! 💪💙🙏 Much love to all of you out there fighting or caring for a loved one that is. - Sherry

#SherryStrong #nevergiveup #ovariancancer #survivor #CancerSucks

[mabarker1]

Sherry is an Amazing Woman. This is Her 3rd round with the Damned c !

Martin has stayed with Sherry since the start of this c, most people probably would have bailed out. Not Martin Jr. as He and Sherry fought the 1st and 2nd Battles. He supported Her and She did the same for Him. (As a person that went through My 2nd Wife battling Breast c, it's tough on the Spouse/Partner as well. Sometimes more so for the Spouse/Partner because they can feel guilty that they didn't do something right or wish it was them in place of the Spouse/Partner and feel hopeless. Losing the battle SUCKS THE WORST !!! I've also had several close Friends with c and that can be just as bad. Again especially losing the battle !!!) Martin even Won the NASCAR Cup Championship in 2017 and The NASCAR Busch Cup Championship in 2004 & 2005, The Two of them have stuck together through thick and thin supporting each other through the years.

[mabarker1]

Praying for Sherry and Martin again.

I HATE c !!!

[jazzlite]

I will put Sherry on my long prayer list of which about 25% are suffering from cancers, including my own precious 14 year old grandson. This disease has touched so many lives that people really step up to support and pray when others are suffering through the treatments and the uncertainty of the whole thing. You really find out how many wonderful folks there are surrounding you when you are diagnosed with cancer. Rest assured that you will be on my prayer list, Sherry, and I will share your story with 20 of my close friends who are the most committed prayer warriors you could ever know. God has this and He holds you in the palm of his hand. Already you are a great inspiration to many, many people. Thanks for this post. It gives us an opportunity to do the best thing for others and that is to pray and believe in miracles. What better time is there than the Christmas Season to do that?

[Atticus]

I will remember Sherry and your grandson in my prayers. Peace.

[mabarker1]

Thank You so much and Prayers for Your Grandson to Win the Battle and the War. I hate c !!!

Merry Christmas to You and All of Yours.

[jazzlite]

Thank you so much to mabarker1 and atticus for your prayers. His name is Luke and he is an awesome kid, so courageous and stoic. We are told that his cancer is so rare insofar as where it is that only 77 cases have been recorded in all of medical history. He has had just the best doctors, beginning with a young surgeon more skilled than most doctors in his field. The surgery took 10 hours and we did not know whether he would survive. He did and has experienced almost daily miracles since last July. Still in treatment, he is now feeling so good that he has finished this semester of school work, mostly while in the hospital, and he loves teasing his mom and dad. He is their only child and they waited 12 years for him. We live in a small community and he has received so much prayer and support from his school, churches and from the workplace of his parents. Prayer is just so sustaining in every way for fighting cancer is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and thanks to the wonderful researchers out there trying to find treatments and cures, patients can have lots more hope these days of being able to beat this thing. God bless you all and Merry Christmas.

[dainbramaged]

Prayers up for this gal. My entire immediate family has died from that horrid disease and I know what it’s like to feel helpless while they deteriorate.

[NormsRevenge]

Cancer is not a reason to leave someone.

Kudos to Martin. Prayers of healing and comfort for Sherry.

[SuperLuminal]

Prayers up for Sherry & Martin...

[Chode]

Prayers up

[mabarker1]

Thank You and Kudos to Luke, hang tough Sir.

[mabarker1]

OMG !!! Prayers for You. I don’t know what to say.

[mabarker1]

Thank You All.

[mabarker1]

UPDATE

“Thank you for the outpouring of support. My surgery was successful, they were able to remove the 3 visible tumors. I am SO grateful for my amazing doctors, nurses and of course my family and friends.”

[mabarker1]

(((PING)))

UPDATED Above from Sherry.

[tubebender]

Cancer is the work of the Devil. My nephew Mark and my long time FRiend Gary are both being treated for it currently. My wife has had it and has beaten it back twice...

[mabarker1]

Yes it is. Praying for All of Yours.

Merry Christmas!

[Deadeye Division]

Sherry Pollex has died at the age of 44 after her courageous battle with ovarian cancer.

[mabarker1]

Yes, I heard this morning.

She fought a Warriors Battle with that damned c !!! She was always thinking of others that had c and doing what She could to help them. Martin and Sherry opened a c wing at NOVANT in Huntersville a while back and Martin has a Airline called Piper's Wings.

Truex Jr and Sherry Pollex have been dating since 2005. They were never married, but you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

In 2014, Pollex was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer. She was able to fight the disease and now runs an organization to help raise awareness for those fighting ovarian and pediatric cancer.

On Friday, Martin Truex Jr posted a social media story announcing the end of their relationship:

“To my fans and partners… Sherry and I have made the decision to end our relationship. I will continue supporting Sherry moving forward. I would ask that you respect our privacy as there will be no further comment about this matter.”

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 19: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, and Sherry Pollex pose with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy after winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2017 in Homestead, Florida.

Pollex is a cancer survivor. She founded the Sherry Strong to help women recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Pollex details her recovery from cancer, “The gift of cancer taught me to not wait one single moment…to make that memory I’ve put off for the past year with a loved one. (Road trip anyone?!) It taught me that loving who I am, even with all my faults, is so important. We have this one life to live, God gives us this one body to nourish and care for, so why not do it right and put ourselves first?!”

On her website, she detailed their relationship:

Pollex commented on Truex Jr, “When I met Martin, my life became complete. He’s the calm one in our relationship, while I’m the frantic, crazy stressed worry-wart all the time! Not my best qualities! I was a woman with a mission: to make the most out of life, with him by my side. We were happy and healthy – isn’t that all anyone wants?”

Pollex has not publicly commented on the separation.

It was Sept. 29, 2020, when Tyler and Kaitlyn Berryhill made one of the most difficult decisions a parent would have to make.

Following a stay at Arkansas Children’s hospital in Little Rock, their 1-year old daughter Piper passed away after battling a condition called Congenital Myasthenia Type 6 (CMS6) – a rare, genetic disease that afflicts fewer than 5,000 people in the United States. CM56 is an inherited disorder that develops around birth that causes muscle weakness and fatigue. A hospital employee approached the couple in a very professional manner and asked if they would be interested in organ donation. And during their darkest hour, the Berryhills made the decision to donate Piper’s organs and let her legacy live on through others. The organ donation gave the gift of life to three other children, and today the couple is grateful to have Piper’s legacy live on through those three individuals who were the recipients of such an incredible gift.

Since 2020, NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr’s MTJ Aviation has flown more than 365 life-saving organ donation flights. While that’s an impressive number in its own right, a new charitable initiative named after Piper Berryhill, called “Piper’s Wings,” is set to take flight in accelerating the opportunities for organ donation. Funding developed through Piper’s Wings, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, will be used for mercy flights to help families that need transportation for their loved ones, along with special missions. As part of the organization’s effort to educate and build awareness of the importance of organ donation, the Piper’s Wings logo appeared on the C-post of Truex’s No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry TRD during last Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 Cup Series race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

“On behalf of everyone at MTJ Aviation, we couldn’t be more excited to announce the formation of a new charity, Piper’s Wings,” said Truex, who won his Cup Series championship in 2017. “In less than three years, we’ve already been able to make a big impact by flying much-needed organs urgently to those who need them. Our entire team at MTJ Aviation are especially grateful to honor Piper Berryhill. Through Piper’s Wings, we not only will have a great opportunity to help those who can’t afford to otherwise benefit from services like we offer, we’re also spreading the message of how important organ donation is. And we can’t think of a better way to kick off April, which is National Donate Life Month.”

Piper’s story was featured Sunday evening on NASCAR on FOX Pre-Race show prior to the Bristol Dirt Race and can be seen here FOX Feature. To learn more about Piper’s Wings and also donate at the following link Piper’s Wings site.

“We are honored to have Piper’s name live on through Piper’s Wings and continue to spread the great work of organ donation and the impact that it has on others,” said Tyler Berryhill, Piper’s father. “It is a logistical wonder how they are able to get this all to work and be able to transport organs to those who desperately need them. Every single hospital staff member lined the hallway to honor Piper as we walked her to her organ surgery – it’s what hospital call an ‘honor walk.’ It was a very powerful moment for our family to see these nurses and doctors who had invested so much time with us during our stay at the hospital, who were there with us. As we were walking, I was thanking them, and a lot of them were crying. We had some of the best nurses and doctors anyone could ask for. Little did we know, but this was in September of 2020 during COVID, and Piper was the first organ donor at the hospital since COVID began, and the staff was grateful when we made the decision to donate.”

While Truex was wheeling his No. 19 Toyota around the track at Richmond last weekend, he and his team hosted Tyler and Kristin Berryhill at the track, along with Dr. David Bruno M.D., of the VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center, and several collegues of the hospital team who are key members of the transplant program. Through a relationship with MTJ Aviation, VCU is the first call for organ donation flights. The VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center is one of the busiest transplant programs in the nation, known for superior patient outcomes that are made possible by top-tier transplant physicians and surgeons, dedicated laboratories, and an award-winning nursing staff.

“We are beyond grateful for the amazing work being carried out by Martin Truex Jr., and Piper’s Wings,” said Dr. Bruno, Interim Division Chair for the Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery at VCU and VCU Health System. “Both are bridging a monumentally important gap in order to increase accessibility to more organs for more patients, making second chances possible.”

Last year, more than 21,000 people were organ donors (14,904 deceased, 6,465 living). There’s a major need for organs nationwide, as some 114,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant (heart, liver, lung, kidney, pancreas), and each day 17 people die waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Only three in 1,000 deceased individuals die in a way that allows for organ donation, which makes choosing to be an organ donor so critically important. The current waitlist for those in need of a transplant at VCU Medical Center (VCUMC) alone is at 971. In 2022, VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center was able to transplant over 500 organs.

About National Donate Life:

Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available to save and heal lives through transplantation while developing a culture where donation is embraced as a fundamental human responsibility. DLA owns, manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national logo and brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multimedia campaigns to promote donation. Founded as the Coalition on Donation in 1992 by the donation and transplantation community, Donate Life America changed its name in 2006 in response to extensive research and the desire to align the organization with the Donate Life brand. Over the past 30 years, Donate Life America and the Donate Life Community have registered 170 million organ, eye and tissue donors in the United States.

[mabarker1]

Sherry Pollex 1979-2023 Rest in Peace.

Gluck: Remembering Sherry Pollex, whose inspiring legacy will live on.

When a 35-year-old Sherry Pollex was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2014, she was given a 30 percent chance of survival over the next five years.

Instead, she lived nine more years. Nine. And during nearly a decade of cancer battles, Pollex became an inspiring figure who soaked up every drop of the extra time she fought so hard for.

Pollex died early Sunday morning at age 44, with cancer taking a beautiful soul whose presence was a gift to so many. But cancer cannot erase the lessons she gave us unless we fail to remember them, so we can’t make the mistake of letting them fade away.

As the longtime partner of NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. before their breakup late last year, Pollex impacted countless lives in a positive way. She never planned on being an inspirational disease fighter — who would? — but found a way to mentally wrap her arms around an unenviable situation.

“I often wonder if that’s my purpose here,” she said last July. “It’s maybe not what I would have chosen for myself — nobody really wants to be the poster child for any type of cancer — but maybe I’m supposed to go through all this so I can pave the way for other women.

“On some days, that can be a really hard pill to swallow. But on other days, it’s like, ‘You know, I’ve been given this really important role in this life, and if I’m going to leave a legacy behind and help other people, then I need to do it 100 percent.’”

Pollex was trying to get pregnant in 2014 when she realized her stomach felt bloated. Maybe this was what being pregnant felt like, she thought. Instead, doctors discovered she had 40 to 50 tumors in her body, would need to have surgery five days later and require a radical hysterectomy that meant she would never have children.

That was her “Why me?” moment, she later recalled. She threw herself to the floor in agony over the news. But weeks later, while talking to the late NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes, who passed away from cancer in 2015, she had a change of perspective.

Byrnes had told her about receiving chemotherapy with a 97-year-old woman on his right and a 19-year-old on his left, and it made him realize cancer does not discriminate. Taking Byrnes’ words to heart, Pollex decided to intentionally feel grateful she had reached age 35 before her diagnosis and became determined to find purpose in all of it.

“I haven’t felt sorry for myself a day since,” she said. “I just thought, ‘I’m gonna live every day and I’m going to live it to the best of my ability. I’m going to be a happy person while I’m living it and whatever happens happens.

“God has blessed me with this much time on this earth, if He takes me now, then whatever I’ve done and whatever I’m blessed to do, then let that be my legacy here.”

In the years since, Pollex beat cancer three different times. At one time, she was in remission for nearly three years. But this time, after running out of effective options — both with cancer drugs and surgery — her body didn’t have the defenses it needed for a fourth victory.

Pollex never gave any hints to the public she wasn’t doing well. Outside of an interview with The Athletic last summer, you would have never known something was amiss — including through last week, when she frequently posted positive messages on social media.

That included the recent “Catwalk for a Cause” fashion show event, in which children batting pediatric cancer get to dress up and walk the runway with NASCAR drivers. Catwalk was Pollex’s brainchild before she experienced cancer herself, and it only furthered her resolve to improve the quality of life for cancer patients when she joined them in the battle.

She was often opinionated, and one strong belief she held was how ridiculous it was to think anyone should pass up the opportunity to inspire others on a daily basis. That could include things as basic as spreading positivity by smiling at people in the grocery store checkout line or being kind toward someone who seems like they’re having a bad day.

“You don’t have to be a cancer patient to inspire somebody,” she said.

“People ask me all the time: ‘I don’t get it. How do you stay so positive and how are you happy all the time when you have Stage 3C ovarian cancer?’” she added. “And I wake up every day and just think this life is amazing. If you look around you, there’s so much positivity and there’s so much beauty in this earth.”

She urged others to practice gratitude (she wrote daily in a gratitude journal), have a healthy lifestyle through clean eating and the use of non-toxic household products (featured on her “Sherry Strong” website), eliminate negative people from their lives, and focus on life’s small-but-wonderful moments like watching the sunset or appreciating the flight of a passing butterfly.

“The color in the sky is bluer and the grass is greener,” she said of how she viewed the world in the extra time she received. “It’s so hard to explain to people that you have to go through what I’ve been through to experience that, and I hate that. I wish everybody could just experience that and not have to go through tragedy to feel that.

“Everything about my life has been more vibrant and colorful and amazing and joyful. And I hate that it took cancer for me to see that, to see how amazing that all is.” Pollex emphasized that how we handle life’s setbacks is a choice. We can choose our own attitudes in those moments, she said. It’s up to us to look at a challenging time, realize how small it is in the grand scheme of our lives and respond accordingly.

More than 20 percent of Pollex’s life was spent in the years after her diagnosis, but it was by far the most powerful and impactful time. Instead of spending it being angry, she made a choice to be as positive as she could about all of it, viewing it as a second chance.

“How can I use it to do good in this world so that when I leave here, I leave behind this legacy of wanting to help others and bring positivity and sunlight and happiness to other people?” she asked herself.

Without a doubt, Pollex answered her own question in the most beautiful and inspiring way.