09/20/2026
Five years ago, Johnny Rodriguez saw something that changed his life: blood in his urine. The first time it happened, he drank more water and it went away. When it happened again the next morning, he knew he needed to get checked. An ER scan revealed what Johnny describes as an apple-sized tumor on his kidney. Doctors eventually removed his left kidney and adrenal gland, but the battle did not end there. Today, the La Joya, Texas father says he is fighting stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma that has spread to his lymph nodes and bones. He has undergone multiple treatments, including immunotherapy, infusions, an NK cell treatment and radiation. The disease has weakened his bones so severely that his right femur now has a metal rod supporting it, and his right upper arm required a metal plate after the bone broke. Other tumors are affecting his left arm, right forearm and ribs, making basic things like walking, showering and getting on and off the toilet painful. Another 25 radiation treatments are scheduled to begin next week. Yet when Johnny was asked about his biggest fear, his answer wasn’t about the pain or the treatments. It was about his family. His youngest son is only 15, and Johnny says he feels like he still has so much life left to live. 💔 His wife has stepped away from work to care for him, while they continue trying to keep life moving for their children. Johnny receives some treatment closer to home and travels to MD Anderson in Houston for specialized care. Through everything, he wants his story to serve another purpose: reminding people not to ignore changes in their bodies. He says his bloodwork appeared normal even while the tumor was growing. Please pray for Johnny, his wife, their children and the entire Rodriguez family as they continue fighting for more time together. 🙏❤️