When Bryan Kuhl was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011, he searched for the best care available — which led him to City of Hope. And while he was confident that City of Hope could offer top of the line treatment, he made his decision because of the care demonstrated by everyone he met: “The emotional component of having cancer needs to be treated just as the illness does,” says Bryan.
But Bryan wasn’t the only member of the family with a cancer diagnosis: Bonnie Kuhl, Bryan’s wife, was fighting breast cancer. “A good friend had breast cancer in her early 30s, so I made sure to get my mammogram every year. And in 2009, I was diagnosed,” says Bonnie.
By the time Bryan began his cancer treatment journey, Bonnie had completed her own, but was still being monitored. She was so happy with the quality of care Bryan was receiving that she transferred her own follow-up care and monitoring to City of Hope.
“I was so incredibly impressed with City of Hope,” remembers Bonnie. “Dealing with serious illness is very challenging, but from the moment you walk on the City of Hope campus, you are cared for. From the security guards to the volunteers to the medical staff, each person you meet is on your team and there to help.”
Bryan and Bonnie often remind people that it’s important to stay current with recommended health screenings and encourage others to stay physically and socially active. “Just as it’s important to look after your health, it’s important to keep up to date with your plans and documents,” emphasizes Bonnie. “When we updated ours, we added a gift in our estate plans for City of Hope. It was an easy decision: We continue to be so impressed with City of Hope and want to encourage others to support them as well.”
Now retired, the Kuhls recently welcomed their second grandchild and are living life to the fullest. Bryan is involved in the community theater group Super Summer Theatre, a nonprofit community theatre performing at Spring Mountain Ranch state park outside of Las Vegas, Nevada that presents performances to more than 40,000 people each summer.
Avid travelers, they recently spent two months traveling through Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the Bordeaux region of France and took a trip down the Mississippi River. In the months to come, they will embark on a safari to the Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as a trip to Egypt, Jordan and Israel.
