Keeping the faith

COEUR d'ALENE - Jim Morrison sits at a table with a black binder.

His kind eyes peer through his glasses at the contents: a notepad scribbled with dates and phone numbers, business cards, notes and the names of people he intends to help.

Morrison survived stage-four lung cancer. He has been cancer-free more than seven years. A big part of that is because Morrison chose not to let that cancer win.

He likes to say, "A good mental attitude won't always cure you, but a bad attitude will always make you sick."

It was 10 years ago in January that Morrison was told he had six months to live. He had a minimal chance of even making it to his daughter's wedding that summer.

"In July 2004, I was at her wedding, and I danced with my daughter," he said. "Impossible. So they say."

Through faith, family support and infinite optimism, Morrison beat a killer cancer.

His high school sweetheart and wife of 42 years, Sandi, said their family is blessed. She never missed any of Jim's treatments. The couple had what they called their "crybaby days" as they talked about their future, or the lack of it.

"It was quite scary thinking I was going to be a widow at 50 and my soulmate being gone," Sandi said.

She humbly said acting as Jim's caretaker was just something she had to do, and that he was never a burden on her.

"Cancer is a kind of a battle that's up to you," Jim said. "You have to go through the crap every day, and you can't do it alone."

Jim, 60, is a nonsmoker, but he worked in the heating trade from the 1970s until he retired. The non-small cell lung cancer was possibly brought on because he was exposed to asbestos and other harmful materials in his work environment.

"Our society is so full of cancer, and it's always 'bad, bad, bad, bad,'" he said. "But cancer changed my life. It prioritized. It deleted a lot of crap in our lives that's totally unnecessary."

Now, Jim, of Coeur d'Alene, wants to reach out others who are experiencing cancer. He has been a spokesperson for Kootenai Health's cancer center and he published a book in 2012 titled "To See Another Sunrise ... How to Overcome Anything, One Day at a Time." His story of survival has been featured in several publications, but Jim doesn't really care about all that.

He just wants to help.

"This is a war," he said. "Cancer is a battle."

Jim offers an open ear and a shoulder to cry on for those dealing with cancer, people he calls his "cancer warriors." He corresponds with people in other cities and states, he comes to their houses to comfort them through tough times and he offers support and sympathy to family members of those who have lost the battle.

His passion for helping others was a promise to his good friend and mentor Don, who died of cancer. Jim and Don were diagnosed within a year of one another. Don provided Jim with information, advice, guidance, friendship and solace as they embarked on their cancer journeys together.

"He took me under his wing and he said, "I'm not sure, Jim, that I'm going to make it, but I know you are,'" Jim said.

Jim credits Don with his desire to help, and said he doesn't know that he would have made it through his first year of cancer without him. On Don's deathbed, Jim made a promise.

"I reached over and I hugged him and I kissed him on the forehead and he said, 'Jim, you are my angel. The only thing that you need to promise me is that I what did for you, you do for others.' And then he died," Jim said. "That's why this is important. Because I promised him that I would do for others what he did for me."

The cancer experience and Jim's brush with death have created a new way for the Morrisons to see the world. They spend plenty of time with their kids and grandkids, they go on family trips, Jim is active in the community and he was excited to announce that he will be a grandpa again this year.

And Jim fully intends to keep his promise to Don by helping others who refuse to lose to cancer.

To reach Jim, email toseeanothersunrise@gmail.com.