Meet Bradley Paul, 30, of Connecticut. Bradley was born and raised in Connecticut and found his passion for Lacrosse during his childhood and continued to play it all through high school and later college at Clark University.
In 2019, Bradley was 25 years old and at that time, he was preparing to begin his graduate residency program in Art Therapy in New Mexico and was filled with hope and excitement for his future. Bradley had made it a habit to lead a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly, spending time outdoors, and exploring his new state on his days off. Bradley also shares his past struggles with mental health issues such as depression and suicidal thoughts, and how he overcame them. He also talks about his family history of addiction as well as the significant amount of grief he had faced in his life and what it took for him to achieve a better mental state.
Despite his healthy lifestyle, he found himself in a local emergency room after a persisting digestive discomfort became increasingly more painful. This was particularly devastating as he had never consumed substances or alcohol all his life due to a family history of addiction.
Bradley was in shock when he was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET), a rare case of pancreatic cancer that made treatment more difficult and less effective at shrinking the tumors, meaning his case would ultimately be inoperable.
With the support of his family and hometown community, Bradley returned to Connecticut to receive treatment and a second opinion on his prognosis. He finds solace in coaching the high school Lacrosse team, where he revisits his roots and provides valuable life lessons and motivational insights to the young men who play for his former stomping grounds. This full-circle opportunity has brought Bradley peace and acceptance of his mortality.
Join us for this week’s episode of the Project Purple Podcast to get a sense of Bradley’s resilience and determination to make a positive impact despite his significant challenges.
To follow Bradley on his journey through pancreatic cancer, visit his YouTube channel for updates:
youtube.com/@bpal32
